Residents of Nabaale sub-county in Naggalama town council in Mukono district are up in arms against the foul stench from Drake Lubega’s farm. The most affected are residents of Wabikokoma, Kakakala, and Nalyabunyili villages.
They accuse the prominent city businessman of dumbing poultry and piggery waste on his farm, which causes a heavy stench and attracts flies to the area. Fahadi Lutaya, a resident of Nalyabunyili village that is along the way to Lubega’s farm in Wabikokoma, says that trucks at times drop some of the waste on their way to the dumping site.
“Every time those vehicles come to dump waste they always drop some waste along the way. This attracts flies, which inevitably fly into our homes and are all over our utensils,” she said.
Ruth Arinaitwe, a resident of Wabikokoma village claims that they are suffering from stomachaches as a result of the flies contaminating their food.
Leila Namuli, another resident says that they have lost appetite for food due to the flies that are all over their homes. She wants Lubega to use chemicals to contain the smell.
Livingstone Matovu says that at first, he wondered where the smell was coming, saying that it has reached a point of affecting intimacy between him and his wife.
Sulaiman Ssebuufu says that since they have no access to Drake, they have tried talking to his farm manager identified as Mangeni, and village Chairperson but they don’t seem to care about their wellbeing.
URN visited the farm was welcomed by a heavy stench from a distance of about 1,000 meters. Our reporter saw a swarm of flies resting on the nearby leaves along the road. Muhammad Kaaweke, the LC I Chairperson of Wabikokoma village, says the stench worsens whenever it rains. He, however, appealed for calm from the residents, saying that they have been informed about plans to dig landfills.
Lubega bought 10 acres of land Wabikokoma village and another 52 acres of land in Kakoola, Kimbuguma, and Samuuka villages in Nama Sub County in Mukono district where he was originally dumping the waste last year until the residents rose up in protest.
He has since moved the dumping site to his new land in Wabikokoma village.
The Health Inspector of Nakifuma-Naggalama town council, Elizabeth Mugeni, says that she has received several reports from residents about the smell.“We advised him to dig deep pits where he can dump his waste at the extreme end of his land furthest from the residential area a week ago but we have not seen positive results yet,” she said.
Lubega’s farm manager, Charles Mangeni, says that their excavator that is supposed to dig the pits broken down pending repairs. He explains that the waste is meant to decompose for use as fertilizers on the land where he intends to plant bananas.
