Kampala Capital City Authority is under scrutiny for being at the forefront of the crusade that has seen city dwellers pay exorbitant fees for garbage collection.
In a stakeholders meeting held at City Hall on Tuesday, KCCA was accused of double charging Kampala residents and businessmen in regard to property rates and the garbage collection fees.
“We have realized KCCA has abdicated its duties of seeing a better and clean city. If we pay license fees and other fees, how come KCCA goes ahead to make us pay separately for garbage in the city,” said Augustine Kyambadde a resident of Nakulabye.
The city residents are unhappy that they are charged Shs1000 per day for garbage collection which does not depend on the amount of garbage generated by people.
KCCA contracted 3 companies including Nabugabo Updeal Joint Venture, Kampala Solid Waste Management and Home Clean Companies to be in charge of garbage collection all over the city, yet there are over 20 other companies collecting and charging fees from the people for the garbage.
This, the businessmen and residents said was unfair to them because of the absence of a clear policy on fees to be collected for garbage.
In the heated meeting, the 3 contracted companies were accused of harassing people during collection of the fees.
“We are charged between Shs50,000 to Shs10,000 per month depending on various companies which is unfair yet some of us have little garbage compared to others. What are the licenses we pay for? We thought the license fees were inclusive of garbage collection,” charged David Wangi.
Highlighting the Local Government Act 2005,KACITA spokesperson Issa Ssekitto said that article 37 of the Act mandates KCCA to deduct a fee from property rates to go for garbage collection, and that there is no need for double payment .
Authoritative
The city businessmen also blamed management of the garbage collection companies for what they termed as authoritative measures that include locking up defaulters.
“Nabugabo Joint Venture Company has enforcement officers who move with handcuffs arresting whoever defaults on paying the exorbitant fees,” said some of the businessmen in the Tuesday meeting.
However, the Makindye West MP Allan Ssewanyana said it is no compulsory for people of Kampala to pay garage collection fees, stressing parliament dedicates a certain portion of budget money to KCCA and part of this can be used to collect garbage other than terrorizing the city dwellers.
“Parliament gave money to KCCA and we saw some of it used to buy garbage trucks that were distributed to various divisions. How come KCCA has abdicated its role of collecting garbage and let it to be taken over by private companies that are charging people highly ,”Wondered Ssewanyana.
“If we continue tendering everything in Kampala, what role will KCCA be left with.”
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago however noted the need for a bigger budget to KCCA to enable them collect garbage in the city other than charging exorbitant fees to the dwellers.
Kampala Minister Beti Kamya said there is a big problem in the city as concerns garbage collection stressing the need to highlight it.
“There is need to re-examine and review the contracts of these garbage collection companies to see if they are charging exorbitant fees to people. We can then go ahead and terminate their contracts but at a cost,”Kamya urged.