Jinja City Mayor, Peter Kasolo, has distanced himself from the escalating garbage problem in the city, stating that he is not responsible for the litter strewn across the town.
In an interview with Busoga Today, Mayor Kasolo responded to concerns about the increasingly dirty and foul-smelling streets and the uncollected garbage piling up in various parts of the city. The mayor seemed to deflect responsibility, pointing the finger at city residents instead.
“Have you been told that I’m the one who dumps garbage there?” Mayor Kasolo said over the phone, sounding unimpressed by the question.
When pressed further on the issue, the mayor reluctantly explained, “The problem is that the central government delayed the release of funds meant for cleaning the city. This delay has led to an accumulation of money owed to Aldina Village Garbage Link, the company contracted to clean the market.”
Since Jinja was granted city status in July 2020, it has attracted a diverse range of people with various business interests. However, the general hygiene of Jinja Central Market and the surrounding streets remains a significant concern.
While the city leadership engages in a blame game, residents are increasingly worried that the filthy state of the town could turn into a serious health disaster.
“This long-standing problem has caused many in Jinja Central Market to believe that the city mayor and his administration are incompetent,” said Akampa Monica, a shoe seller who operates near one of the garbage pits in the middle of the road.
She added, “We have done our part to try and remove the garbage from where we work because the stench is unbearable, especially during the rainy season. Our health is at risk.”
A street vendor, who preferred to remain anonymous, said he no longer attracts clients when he sets up shop in garbage-infested areas. “People can’t buy from a poorly managed place. This reduces the profits we would make, yet at the end of the day, the market management still demands fees from us.”
The traders claim they have repeatedly raised their concerns with the city mayor through Vinn Ssemaganda, the director of Aldina Village Garbage Link, but to no avail.
“We gave up on the garbage issue and left those responsible to do as they please,” said Ms. Akampa.
When contacted, Mr. Ssemaganda confirmed that his company is owed a significant amount of money by the city. He noted that despite the mayor assuring residents that the company had been paid, this was not the case.
“We have been demanding our payment for a long time. The funds are needed to settle human resource bills, especially for the garbage collectors, and to purchase more equipment since what we have can’t cope with the level of garbage accumulation in the city. However, the city has not been forthcoming,” he said.
The garbage issue in Jinja comes on the heels of a recent disaster in Kiteezi, a suburb of Kampala, where garbage caused a landslide that killed nearly 100 people.
Jinja City has also been grappling with the lack of a landfill after the old one was sold by the city leadership for a paltry sum.
