KCCA tells LCs to enforce hygiene in their parishes

Kampala Capital City Authority has expressed need for Local Council leaders (LCs) to enforce hygiene and sanitation programmes in their parishes in order to curb  disease outbreaks.

Officials from the directorate of Public Health and Environment, during an induction carried out with the LCs said diseases like cholera and Diarrhoea are caused as a result of poor hygiene in their areas something than can be controlled once handled properly.

At the beginning of this year there was a cholera outbreak in Kampala in areas around Makindye, Kalerwe and in the district of Mpigi.

The Ag Deputy Director, Environment and Sanitation, Dr Najib Lukooya told the local leaders that they should ensure that residents in their communities have sensitisation meetings with which they encourage residents to construct latrines, hand washing facilities and areas where they can hang their utensils to dry  .

"Once you find that a landlord does not have these facilities, there are bylaws which can be enforced upon the communities ," Lukooya explained to the over 150 LCs who convened  recently at the Imperial Royale Hotel.

Lukooya told the leaders that at the parish level they should ensure that drainage channels in the communities are kept clean to avoid flooding and breeding areas for mosquitoes. He added that KCCA has engaged other stakeholders in the water and sanitation programmes as a way on minimising on the outbreaks.

"We have started on a campaign programme in the city, which target hygiene, by constructing latrines for the communities. The programme known as Weyonge has been launched in all the divisions of Kampala," Lukooya said.

The Local leaders on their side condemned KCCA technical staff from coming up with programmes in their parishes without informing the LCs.

They said KCCA has on several occasions come up with programmes meant to benefit communities but leave out the LCs who would have mobilised the residents.

"The city authorities should respect the views of the LCs since we know how many people need the services, before any implementation," Samuel Nkoyoyo, Chairman LC I Kisenyi said.

"We have only three toilets is the civic centre which is a business area, but KCCA should inform us before they can think of setting up others," Hassan Magala a Village Health Team in Kisenyi said.

The Mayor Kampala Central, Charles Sserunjogi told KCCA that they should ensure that communities in Kampala have more toilets. He added that it is the mandate of KCCA to ensure that homes, communities and public places have places of convenience.

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