Nansana Municipality Tackles Garbage Crisis with New By-law

Nansana Municipality is taking a firm stance against the escalating garbage crisis with a new draft by-law aimed at enforcing environmental regulations. The Nansana Municipal Council Waste Management By-law 2024 seeks to address the persistent issue of domestic and commercial waste being improperly dumped, leading to blocked drainage channels and worsened flooding.

Municipal officials highlighted that plastic waste has severely impacted roads and drainage systems. The by-law, expected to be operational before the end of the 2025/2026 financial year, designates responsibility for waste management directly to residents and business owners. It mandates the sorting of waste into designated, coded containers.

Violators will face significant penalties, including a Shs500,000 fine for littering and Shs100,000 for failing to pay for garbage collection services. Households and businesses not separating waste could incur fines up to Shs200,000, while those illegally opening sewerage channels during rainfall face a Shs500,000 penalty.

Furthermore, the law stipulates that all waste collection vehicles must have metallic, easy-to-clean bodies and be regularly decontaminated. Waste transporters will be required to use enclosed trucks to prevent spillage.

In a broader vision, the municipality plans to treat solid waste as a resource and is collaborating with Kira Municipality to establish a recycling plant on 35 acres of land in Menvu Village.

The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has commended Nansana’s initiative, advising alignment with national environmental laws. Meanwhile, Kira Municipality has launched a pilot three-bin system for improved household waste sorting, distributing over 300 bins with World Bank funding.

This article is based on information from the Daily Monitor.