Cesspool latrine emptying solution to unemployment

By Saudha Nakandha

When John Doya graduated with a Bachelors degree of Science from Makerere University, he looked for jobs but failed to grab one.

He did not sit back and relax but took on any opportunity that came his way.

He therefore took on that of human waste management.

Doya is living his dream of being self-employed because of the company he owns that empties people’s latrines.

Doya was trained in the field for a few months and he is doing a perfect job.

Like Doya, there are many unemployed graduates who would use such training opportunities to venture into the field.

Cate Zziwa, the country director Water for people, an NGO that is tasked with training people in sludge or human waste management said it is an opportunity for those who seek being self-employed.

“Recent market research has shown that there are thousands of latrines that are filling up and need to be emptied and people are willing to pay for this. In the past people might have been able to dig a new pit, but we have run out of space,” Zziwa said.

Besides that, she said technology has eased work as there’re hand carried and powered carried Gulpers that can be pumped into 500 litre drums.

“People are willing to pay sh250 per 150 litre drum so you could be earning more than sh250 per load” she adds.

“You will need about sh1m to begin the business, from this money you can buy drums, gulper plus a hook, protective gear, and cleaning materials such as the disinfectant,” Zziwa explained.

Approximately 70% Kampala city’s 1.7 million population use pit latrines for their excreta disposal.

Only 6.4% are served by sewers.

Un- Habitat estimates that 44% of the population living in unplanned areas shares a latrine giving a conservative estimate that there are around 150,000 latrines in Kampala.