The executive director of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Sharifah Buzeki, has urged residents in Lubaga Division to work with KCCA to ensure that roads and drainage channels remain clean and free of garbage and sewage.
Buzeki was accompanied by Dr Sarah Zalwango, the director of public health and environment, and the Lubaga Division town clerk, John Bosco Bushinyora, during a sanitation drive in the area.
She has pledged to improve service delivery in the division after the area exceeded its revenue target. Lubaga collected Shs 12 billion, surpassing the Shs 10 billion goal set by KCCA.
“We call upon you to work with us to see that your roads, drainage systems are kept clean and free from garbage and sewage. This will help you to maintain proper sanitation and protect yourself from disease-causing germs,” she said.
Dressed in white gumboots and protective gear, Buzeki said KCCA was committed to addressing the shortage of public toilets, delays in garbage collection, and limited manpower for desilting blocked drainage channels.
She said residents in Lubaga had shown a positive attitude towards meeting their tax obligations, which had boosted the authority’s capacity to respond to community needs.
On the growing number of street children, Buzeki encouraged parents and guardians to take their children to KCCA-owned and supported schools. These include 18 nursery schools, 253 private Universal Primary Education schools, 50 government-aided schools, and 50 private secondary schools.
She also highlighted BTVET institutions under KCCA that can equip young people with practical skills for employment.
On the poor sewage system at the 2,000-capacity Busega Market, which has frustrated traders, Buzeki said KCCA had hired a consultant to redesign and fix the system to ensure proper sewage flow at the facility.
She also encouraged residents to use the Kyanja Agricultural Resource Centre for urban farming to reduce household food costs and improve nutrition. She advised families to use KCCA public health facilities for counselling, child immunisation, and treatment of HIV and other illnesses.
Dr Zalwango said the authority had mapped 21 public toilets that are due for assessment, which will help KCCA determine the most suitable technologies to address the long-standing shortage of facilities.
She called for continuous door-to-door sensitisation, routine sweeping of roads, and regular desilting of drainage channels. These activities will be supervised by community activation teams.
Zalwango asked residents to keep track of their innovations, garbage management practices, model homes, hygiene standards, and general cleanliness. She said these will form the basis of evaluation under the Weyonje Sanitation Challenge, where the public will also vote using U-Report, X, and other platforms.
She urged local leaders in Lubaga to work hard to win the 2025 sanitation challenge, noting that the division has previously been a hotspot for cholera outbreaks and must strive to improve hygiene and sanitation
