Africa-Press – Uganda. A section of traders and residents in Ishaka-Bushenyi Municipality are protesting new garbage collection fees imposed by the municipal leadership.
Two months ago, the municipal council started charging between Shs5000 and Shs10,000 on garbage disposal to all businesses operating in the area.
During a Wednesday stake holder’s engagement meeting (baraza) organized by the municipal council to improve service delivery, traders said the “fees are too much.”
“The municipality leadership never engaged us while planning to set up the fee and this is suicidal. What criteria did they use to reach that amount?” Loyce Bagyenda, a businesswoman in the town asked.
Henry Mugisha, a resident of Kyeitembe, told that: “They are taking a lot of money from us but also giving us services is a problem. When you enter Bushenyi town through liberation Road, you are welcomed by heaps of garbage and strong stench.”
The municipal health officer Julius Byamukama revealed that the council was previously spending Shs120million on garbage collection every financial year, but plans are on to slash expenditure.
“The municipality has now embarked on a policy of solid waste management to have a clean town and the responsibility of traders and local residents is to pay user fees to ensure that the system keeps on moving,” he added.
Municipality town clerk Seleverio Mukobi Byarufu informed that they are looking for a contractor to start collecting garbage in the town.
“If these traders have a strong association, we would have given them the tender and save us the burden because previously we had contracted a certain company, but they disappointed us and the current one is over stretched,” he noted.
He added: ” The garbage collection fees they are complaining about was approved and passed in the council by their leaders. Now what did they want me to do?”
Milton Betungura Kasibure, municipality deputy mayor, says they cannot continue using old methods of collecting garbage in the municipality and keep the town dirty, yet times keep changing.
“We are also irked by the issues of garbage and stench in every corner but all that was passed in council just give us two weeks you will see some changes,” he said.
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