KCCA deploys undercover ‘ambience ambassadors’ to crack down on city littering

What the report says

The Observer reports that Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) plans to deploy undercover “ambience ambassadors” to track and apprehend people who litter in Kampala, in a new push to improve sanitation in the capital. KCCA executive director Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki announced the plan on Saturday during the launch of the mandatory monthly National Cleaning Day, saying the covert team would monitor public areas and help enforce accountability for indiscriminate dumping.

Buzeki said the national clean-up exercise has also given new momentum to Weyonje, KCCA’s Saturday clean-up campaign aimed at improving hygiene and public health. She noted that Kampala’s waste problem is worsened by garbage entering the city from surrounding metropolitan areas, and said a nationwide approach could help reduce the amount of waste flowing into the capital.

The Observer reported that although the clean-up drew a broadly positive public response, large piles of rubbish were still seen along roads in parts of Kampala over the weekend, including in Kawempe Division. KCCA spokesperson Daniel Nuwabine said the first National Cleaning Day produced unusually high volumes of waste and revealed how much garbage had accumulated in some homes and neighbourhoods. He said KCCA and private waste collectors were working to clear it.

Buzeki also welcomed additional government funding for KCCA, saying it would support waste management improvements. According to the report, part of the money is expected to go toward rehabilitating the Buyala dumpsite, which serves Kampala and the wider metropolitan area, and acquiring more garbage collection trucks.