Masaka City Leaders Clash Over Garbage Collection

What the report says

Masaka City leaders are publicly at odds over garbage collection after government vehicles were impounded during a National Cleaning Day exercise, according to Nile Post. The dispute has centered on Nyendo-Mukungwe Division Mayor Ronald Kasekende and Resident City Commissioner Ahmed Washaki, who exchanged accusations over who is responsible for the city’s worsening sanitation problems.

Nile Post reported that the vehicles were taken to police after they were allegedly being used to transport murrum for road works instead of their assigned purpose. Kasekende said the move was undermining efforts to keep the city clean, arguing that the division has too few vehicles for waste collection and has even had to rely on a truck borrowed from Mbarara City. He also said the loss of additional vehicles disrupted plans to support the cleaning drive.

Washaki defended the impounding, saying he wanted accountability from officials overseeing sanitation before releasing the vehicles. He accused some leaders of allowing garbage to remain unattended despite contracts having been awarded to private collectors, and warned that unauthorized use of government vehicles would not be allowed. The article said the disagreement came as rubbish remained visible on several roads, reflecting broader concerns about Masaka’s waste management system and the challenge of sustaining regular collection services.