At 6:30 a.m., Mariam Nakkazi lifts the metal
shutter of her tomato kiosk near the crowded Mengo–Kisenyi market in downtown Kampala.
The first thing that greets her is not the morning breeze — it is the smell.
Rotting tomatoes, crushed mangoes, and fermenting cabbage from yesterday’s
unsold stock lie heaped in nearby corners. She instinctively covers her nose
before arranging her fresh produce for display.
Trade begins early here. Trucks from upcountry,
Kenya, and Tanzania offload produce before sunrise. But alongside the abundance
comes accumulation. Waste spills from torn sacks, clogs drainage channels, and
lingers in the humid air.
According to the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA),
the city generates between 1,500 and 2,500 tonnes of solid waste daily, with
collection gaps leaving a significant share unmanaged. For Mariam, this is not
an abstract statistic. It hangs in the air she breathes, settles on her stall,
and quietly threatens her livelihood.
In Kampala’s markets, waste is no longer just a
sanitation issue — it is a daily test of how a growing city governs its future.
The Promise: Turning Organic
Waste into Power
Unlike many high-income countries that rely heavily
on incineration, Uganda’s waste composition makes biological treatment
particularly promising. Organic material accounts for an estimated 50–60% of
municipal solid waste in Kampala. Market waste, food scraps, and agricultural
residues can be converted through anaerobic digestion into biogas for cooking
or electricity generation, while producing nutrient-rich compost.
Small-scale digesters piloted in eastern Uganda
have demonstrated that community-based systems can reduce firewood use, improve
sanitation, and lower household energy costs (OneEarth, 2021). At a larger
scale, African cities already offer benchmarks.
The Reppie Waste-to-Energy Plant processes
approximately 1,400 tonnes of waste daily and generates around 25 MW of
electricity — supplying a meaningful share of Addis Ababa’s power demand (Ethiopian
Electric Power, 2022). While not without controversy, it demonstrates that
utility-scale waste-to-energy (WTE) infrastructure can operate on the
continent.
In Kenya, the Gorge Farm anaerobic digestion plant
near Naivasha illustrates how agricultural waste streams can reliably generate
renewable energy for agro-industries (Global Recycling Foundation, 2024).
For Uganda — where electricity access has improved but remains uneven — WTE could diversify the energy mix while reducing landfill pressure. It could also create jobs in waste sorting, plant operation, and maintenance, formalising work for informal waste pickers who currently operate with limited protection.
Encouragingly, a
partnership led by KCCA, alongside Cenergy Solutions, Homekline, and Khainza
Energy, is now underway to convert organic solid waste into biogas and
fertiliser. The initiative aims to supply residents with cleaner cooking gas
while easing the city’s growing waste burden.
The Pitfalls: Systems Before Technology
Yet here is the hard truth: waste-to-energy
succeeds only where systems function.
Effective WTE depends on consistent waste
collection, segregation at source, and reliable feedstock supply. In Kampala,
household-level sorting remains limited (KCCA, 2023). Mixed, high-moisture
waste reduces calorific value, undermines incineration efficiency, and raises
operational costs. Without investment in behaviour change, logistics,
enforcement, and infrastructure, expensive facilities risk underperformance.
Source separation is often described as difficult,
but the deeper issue is structural. Kampala’s current bin systems do not
incentivise segregation. Behaviour follows design. Structured pilot programmes
in selected communities — with colour-coded bins for organic, plastic, paper,
and residual waste — could test participation rates, monitor contamination
levels, and scale up based on evidence.
Cost is another critical consideration. Government
projections suggest that WTE could contribute modestly to Uganda’s future
energy mix by 2040, but at a higher capital cost relative to solar and
hydropower alternatives (Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, 2023). As
reflected in planning frameworks such as Uganda’s Fourth National Development
Plan (NDP IV, 2025/26–2029/30), WTE is positioned as a complementary renewable
technology that requires de-risking, careful financial structuring, and
regulatory clarity.
Environmental safeguards are equally essential.
Incineration without stringent emissions controls can expose nearby communities
to pollutants such as dioxins and particulate matter (UNEP, 2019). For
Kampala’s neighbourhoods, any WTE facility must reduce pollution — not relocate
it.
People at the Centre
Global south experience offers a clear lesson:
community integration determines sustainability. Where informal waste workers
are formalised — through cooperatives or contracted supply chains — recycling
rates improve and livelihoods are protected (ILO, 2020). Where they are
excluded, resistance grows and systems weaken.
For Kampala’s residents, the debate is straightforward.
They want cleaner air, safer streets, and reliable energy. Waste-to-energy can
contribute to that future — but only if Uganda invests first in governance,
transparency, environmental compliance, and public participation.
Technology alone will not solve Kampala’s waste
crisis.
But disciplined planning, strong institutions, and
people-centred design might just turn rubbish into resilience.
And if the heaps outside Mariam’s stall are
replaced by cleaner streets and reliable biogas, she may never speak of
circular economy models or energy diversification. She will simply breathe
easier — and sometimes, that is where sustainable development truly begins.
Selected References:
· World Bank (2018). What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050.
· UCLG (2022). Waste Composition and Urban Sustainability Reports.
· UNEP (2019). Waste-to-Energy: Considerations for Informed Decision-Making.
· ILO (2020). Informal Waste Workers and Formalisation Studies.
· Global Recycling Foundation (2024). Global Recycling Magazine.
· OneEarth (2021). Community Biogas Case Study, Uganda.
· Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (April 2023). Energy Policy for Uganda 2023
· Government of Uganda (December 2024). National Development Plan - 2025/26-2029/30
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