Mbale's Mission Cell Grapples with Sanitation Crisis Amidst National Clean-Up

Uganda’s first National Cleaning Exercise saw communities across the nation engage in voluntary clean-ups, but in Mbale City’s Mission Cell, the initiative inadvertently spotlighted a severe, ongoing sanitation crisis. Residents of this informal settlement voiced their long-standing frustrations, stating that years of pleas to city authorities for waste management intervention have been ignored, leaving them to coexist with mounting garbage.

The nationwide effort aimed to promote healthier environments, with participants clearing roads, vegetation, and blocked drainage systems. In Mbale’s city center, businesses and residents voluntarily cleaned public spaces. Military personnel were also involved, directing boda boda riders and pedestrians to join the clean-up along key routes.

Despite the collective spirit of the day, Mission Cell residents were quick to point out their most critical unresolved issue: a massive garbage heap accumulating over several years. This landfill has become a breeding ground for disease, emitting foul odors and attracting flies and mosquitoes. Critically, it has contaminated a borehole donated by the late Wapakhabulo, which previously served hundreds of households but is now condemned. Due to affordability issues, many residents, including children, continue to use this polluted water source.

Local leaders have repeatedly raised these concerns with city officials, including the Health Inspector, Town Clerk, and Mayor, yet no action has been taken. The clean-up itself provided only temporary relief, as collected waste often had nowhere to be disposed of. Without proper collection trucks or designated dumping sites, heaps of refuse were left by the roadside, with fears they would simply be washed back into drains.

This situation is exacerbated by Mbale City’s shift to a public-private partnership model for waste management, where households are expected to hire private collectors. Residents argue this is unaffordable for low-income families in informal settlements. The current system, they contend, fails to serve the needs of slum areas, leaving waste with no designated drop-off points.

While city officials have acknowledged the sanitation challenges and promised permanent solutions, residents of Mission Cell emphasize the need for sustained investment in waste management and sanitation infrastructure, rather than one-off clean-up campaigns. Until effective and affordable systems are in place, the crisis in Mission Cell is likely to persist long after the National Cleaning Exercise concluded.

This report was originally published by Nile Post.