Kabale Municipality has acquired about five acres of land worth Shs239 million in Kaharo Sub-county, Ndorwa East Constituency, for the construction of a new landfill after the current Kirengyere garbage collection centre became surrounded by residential developments, raising public health concerns.
The existing Kirengyere garbage collection centre, located in Kirengyere Village, Kyanamira Sub-county, about six kilometres along the Kabale–Ntungamo–Mbarara highway, has been operational since 2010. It receives waste from Kabale Municipality’s three divisions and also accommodates a section designated as a public cemetery.
Kabale Municipality Mayor Emmanuel Sentaro Byamugisha said the newly acquired site is located about 10 kilometres from Kabale town and has already been fully paid for, with the land title secured.
Byamugisha said the municipality is now seeking funding from the council to fence off the land before development of the landfill begins.
He added that, like the current site, the new facility will serve as both a landfill and a public cemetery.
CUE IN BYAMUGISHA…ON LAND…RR/ENG//
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has urged residents to embrace household waste segregation as a key step towards improving sanitation, protecting the environment and creating economic opportunities.
The Ministry’s Senior Communication Officer, Emmanuel Ainebyoona, said communities should begin separating waste at the source instead of disposing of all household refuse in a single container.
He encouraged households to use separate bins for plastics, organic waste and other categories of refuse to ease recycling and proper disposal.
Ainebyoona explained that biodegradable waste such as banana peelings, rotten tomatoes and other food remains can be processed into manure, biogas or even electricity, technologies already being used in several countries.
He added that plastic waste, including water bottles and polythene bags, can be recycled into products such as plastic chairs and other household items, creating jobs and generating income.
According to Ainebyoona, waste should no longer be regarded as useless but as a valuable resource capable of contributing to the country’s economy if properly managed.
He likened the potential of recyclable waste to the once-thriving scrap metal industry, where discarded materials were collected and transformed into new products.
Ainebyoona said proper segregation at household level would make it easier for recyclers to recover reusable materials from landfills, while also promoting cleaner communities, better public health and additional sources of household income.
CUE IN AINEBYOONA…ON THE MATTER…RR/ENG//
