Balimwezo orders garbage clearance in Makindye-Salaama

Kampala Lord Mayor Ronald Nsubuga Balimwezo on Wednesday ordered the clearance of uncollected garbage heaps in Makindye-Salaama after residents complained that waste left behind from a citywide clean-up had begun to smell and raised fears of disease. His intervention also covered Boston, Lukuli and Luwafu, where piles of rubbish were still lying along roads days after the exercise, according to Nile Post. Balimwezo inspected the affected areas and said some companies licensed to collect garbage lacked the capacity to do the work. After the visit, he asked waste company Homekline to remove the accumulated waste, and the company deployed more than 40 trucks, Nile Post reported. ### Which areas were affected, and why did residents complain? Makindye-Salaama, Boston, Lukuli and Luwafu were named by Balimwezo as the areas where waste had remained uncollected after the clean-up exercise held last Saturday, Nile Post reported. Residents told him the garbage had been left in their communities for days and had started producing a foul smell. The complaints matched a wider pattern in Kampala. (nilepost.co.ug) The Kampala Capital City Authority had already been racing to clear remaining garbage heaps in several suburbs, including Makindye, as the rainy season began, according to Uganda Radio Network reporting carried by The Independent on August 6. That report said residents feared waste could be washed into drainage channels, causing blockages, flooding and public health risks. ### Why did Balimwezo step in personally? Balimwezo said the problem pointed to a capacity gap among some garbage collection firms operating in the city. “I am concerned that some companies are being given permits to collect garbage when they do not have the capacity to handle the work,” he said during the inspection, according to Nile Post. His intervention was consistent with warnings he made days earlier about Uganda’s National Cleaning Day. (independent.co.ug) In a separate Nile Post report published six days before Wednesday’s inspection, Balimwezo said the campaign risked leaving rubbish along roads if authorities did not have enough trucks and disposal sites ready. He said Kampala generates about 3,200 tonnes of waste a day, but only part of that is collected because of limited capacity. (nilepost.co.ug) ### What role did Homekline and KCCA officials play? Homekline was the company Balimwezo asked to intervene after seeing the garbage heaps, and Nile Post said it deployed more than 40 garbage collection trucks to remove the waste. The company’s director, Isaac Katureebe, said its operations in the city depend on permits issued by Kampala Capital City Authority, or KCCA. Dr Sarah Zalwango, KCCA’s director of public health, praised Homekline’s work and called for greater professionalism in the sector. (thenilepost.com) She said authorities should discourage operators that do not have the capacity to collect garbage from entering the business, according to Nile Post. ### What did local leaders say on the ground? Shaban Kwezi, an area councillor, said the garbage had become a major concern for residents and thanked Balimwezo and Homekline for responding. (nilepost.co.ug) He said people in the community feared the waste could eventually cause disease if it remained where it had been dumped. Joram Muhwezi, a Homekline manager, said the company appreciated the Lord Mayor’s visit and his interest in the challenges affecting waste collection in Kampala. (nilepost.co.ug) Nile Post also reported that Balimwezo was briefed on Homekline’s biogas project, which uses decomposable waste. ### How does this fit into Balimwezo’s wider agenda at City Hall? January 24, 2026, was the date Nile Post reported Balimwezo’s election as Kampala Lord Mayor, and May 20, 2026, was the date the outlet reported he was sworn in. (nilepost.co.ug) Since taking office, he has repeatedly linked garbage collection, flooding and sanitation to city management. Wednesday’s action leaves the next step with Homekline, KCCA public health officials and local councillors in Makindye-Salaama, Boston, Lukuli and Luwafu, where waste removal operations were underway after the inspection. (nilepost.co.ug) Balimwezo also said he would continue working with Homekline on waste management and questioned why a company he said had capacity to collect large volumes of garbage had not received the necessary permit. (nilepost.co.ug)