Kitgum Municipal authorities are grappling with a garbage management crisis because their only dumpsite in Piny-Munu in Pajimo parish in Labongo Akwang Sub County is filled up. Currently, residents are complaining about piles of uncollected garbage particularly in the central business district, saying it could lead to the outbreak of water-borne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and diarrhea.
The most affected areas include Apollo Ground Cell in Kitgum main bus park, the two temporal markets of Akuru-Kwe and Tuma-Atoo in the Central division, and Mon-Bunyu satellite market in Pandwong division. The undesirable situation has earned the municipality a bad reputation among market traders and business operators who accuse the local authority of not doing enough in terms of waste management.
Nancy Aciro, a vendor in Kitgum market says that their facility has become one of the dirtiest places due to inappropriate garbage disposal, which has subsequently affected their sales because of the poor turn up of customers owing to the filthy environment.
Richard Ojara Okwera, the Mayor of Kitgum Municipality acknowledges the problem of waste disposal, which he attributes to inconsistency in the collection of solid waste because their disposal site is filled up. According to Ojara, the garbage disposal site has filled up to the extent that their garbage trucks lack space to dispose of rubbish waste. He says that they convened a crisis meeting to explore better ways of handling the waste.
Peter Oola, one of the area residents, says that the people in Adyee and Pinymunu villages have since recommended the temporary closure of the dumpsite due to poor waste management and environmental pressures surrounding them.
According to Oola, the municipality had started dumping waste outside the designated area since the dumpsite is used up threatening public health. Kitgum Town Clerk Ayub Alikwan Kisubi has called for calm, saying that the authorities have already secured equipment to clear the landfill as waste management returns to normalcy.
Kisubi further called on the residents to support and embrace the council’s health education and sensitization efforts on good waste management practices during this crisis.URN
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