Uganda, like many developing nations, faces the looming environmental crisis of plastic pollution, and the consequences are becoming increasingly evident in its capital, Kampala. With a population of over 2.5 million people, Kampala is grappling with severe drainage challenges exacerbated by plastic waste. Drainages passing through the city center are often clogged with plastic bags, waste bottles, and other debris, resulting in frequent flooding, health risks, and significant damage to infrastructure. As plastic continues to trap the city in a cycle of waste accumulation and poor waste management, finding sustainable solutions is becoming more urgent than ever.
The Problem of Plastic Waste in Kampala
Kampala, like many cities around the world, is facing the challenges of rapid urbanization. As the city grows, so does its waste generation, with plastic products making up a large portion of the total waste. The widespread use of single-use plastics, particularly plastic shopping bags, waste plastic bottles, and packaging materials, is overwhelming the city’s waste management systems. Kampala’s drainage systems, built many decades ago, were never designed to cope with the modern scale of urban waste.
Plastic waste in these drainage systems is often the result of improper disposal by residents and a lack of efficient waste collection mechanisms. Waste plastic bags are notorious for clogging up gutters and drains, preventing the free flow of rainwater. During the rainy season, this blockage leads to flooded streets, which in turn causes damage to roads, property, and businesses. The accumulation of plastic waste in these drainage systems presents a persistent challenge, both to city planners and to the health of Kampala’s residents.
Health and Environmental Impacts
Breeding Ground for Mosquitoes
Beyond the visible mess, the plastic waste choking Kampala’s drainage systems has serious environmental and public health consequences. The accumulation of plastic waste in water channels exacerbates flooding, which increases the risk of waterborne diseases. As stagnant water from these blocked drains mixes with garbage, it becomes a breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes and other pests. Diseases like malaria, cholera, and dysentery spread more rapidly in such conditions, putting an additional strain on the country’s already under-resourced health sector.
Furthermore, the plastic waste itself poses long-term environmental risks. Plastics do not biodegrade and remain in the environment for hundreds of years. They break down into smaller micro-plastics, which contaminate soil, water, and air. This can have harmful effects on local wildlife and even reach the food chain, impacting both biodiversity and human health. As plastics accumulate in Uganda’s ecosystems, they pose a persistent challenge to sustainability efforts.
Efforts to Tackle the Plastic Waste Problem
The government of Uganda, alongside various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society groups, has taken steps to address plastic waste and its impact on urban infrastructure. The Uganda National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has launched initiatives aimed at reducing the use of single-use plastics, such as the bans on plastic bags four times, with the first ban coming into effect in 2007 and the most recent one in 2023. However, this policy has faced challenges in enforcement, and plastic waste continues to flood the market.
However, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has taken steps to improve drainage systems, including efforts to clean clogged channels, upgrade existing infrastructure, and manage waste more effectively. The KCCA has also initiated public awareness campaigns to educate the residents of Kampala on proper waste disposal and the dangers of plastic pollution. Despite these efforts, progress remains slow. The demand for plastic products continues to rise, and there is a lack of comprehensive recycling infrastructure. Although there are a few plastic recycling initiatives, they are insufficient to handle the volume of plastic waste generated daily. Kampala’s waste management systems are underfunded and overstretched, making it difficult to address the root causes of the plastic problem.
The Way Forward: A Multi-Pronged Approach
To break free from the plastic trap, Kampala needs to adopt a multi-pronged approach that includes both policy and community-level interventions. Strengthening enforcement of plastic bans and expanding waste collection services is crucial to reducing the amount of plastic that ends up in drainage systems. Furthermore, more investments are needed in the recycling sector to ensure that plastic waste can be repurposed instead of ending up in landfills or clogging urban infrastructure.
Public-private partnerships could also play a key role in addressing the plastic waste problem. Companies that produce plastic products can be incentivized to take responsibility for their waste through extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, where producers are held accountable for the recycling or disposal of their products. Additionally, encouraging the use of alternative materials such as biodegradable packaging could help reduce the dependency on plastics in the long term.
Community involvement is another crucial aspect of solving this crisis. Local residents need to be empowered with knowledge about the negative impacts of plastic waste and the importance of proper waste management. Grassroots initiatives, like plastic waste collection and recycling programs, should be encouraged and supported by both government and private sector actors. Kampala’s residents, especially youth, can be vital allies in the fight against plastic pollution.
In addition, to prevent the contamination of waste streams, KCCA should designate specific landfills for different types of waste and partner with specialized companies to collect and dispose of each waste stream at the appropriate landfill designated for that purpose. Currently, only trucks carrying hazardous wastes are designated and clearly marked like this one below.
In conclusion, the plastic waste problem in Kampala City Centre presents a multifaceted challenge that requires the concerted effort of all stakeholders, from the government and private sector to individual citizens. While steps have been taken, much more remains to be done to tackle the environmental and public health threats posed by clogged drainage systems. By strengthening waste management infrastructure, increasing recycling efforts, and promoting sustainable alternatives to plastic, Kampala can begin to break free from the plastic trap and build a cleaner, healthier urban future.
The writer is @Esther TBR Kamese – the Program officer, Youth, Food Systems, Biodiversity & Climate Change at BiVA
