Locals gang up against Mbarara city leadership over Kenkombe land field

Mbarara – Having travelled and toured other cities across the region to study  on garbage management, it still seems Mbarara city leadership have learnt nothing, as residents from the city especially from areas neighbouring Kenkombe dumping  site like Koranorya, Rwemigina, Kenkombe and Rwentonde are unhappy with the Mayor and Town Clerk about garbage that have blocked some roads, and entered people’s homes.

On Tuesday morning, a section of residents led by their local leaders staged a peaceful demonstration at Kenkombe dumping site where they blocked all the vehicles including the garbage trucks from accessing the site until authorities responded.

The residents claim that the service providers who have the tender on garbage management in Mbarara city have failed their work, adding that service providers have done a disservice to the city by dumping garbage any how.

According to the residents, garbage has so far reached in the premises of the Church, school, homes and blocked some roads that go to the neighbouring areas.

Locals accuse the office of Mayor Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi and the Town Clerk Assey Abirebe for incompetence on garbage management at Kenkombe.

They accuse some officials from the city council including the Mayor and the Town Clerk for the connivance with the bosses of waste management companies, adding that the officials are beneficiaries when the garbage is mismanaged at Kenkombe.

Robert Twiine, a councilor representing Rwemigina Ward in Mbarara city north division told journalists that as a leader and resident of the area, he has severally complained over poor management of garbage at Kenkombe but nothing has been done by the city council.

He said that Mbarara city council is the one responsible for the waste management whether in town or at the dumping site.

“I must tell you that the office of the Town Clerk and the Mayor have failed to do what they are supposed to do as far as garbage management is concerned. We are tired of garbage, we no longer have roads in this area. We have discovered that there is a lot of corruption in Kakyebezi’s council.

Some of the officials in the council connive with the service providers. They are benefiting when we are suffering. As locals we no longer want garbage at Kenkombe, if the council does not respond we are taking them to court,” Twiine said.

Francis Kambamu, the LC2 chairperson Rwemigina Ward said that as locals they are tired of the city council on the way they manage garbage at Kenkombe, adding that the garbage has even entered people’s homes.

“We shall keep these roads closed unless this issue is addressed by the leadership of Mbarara city council. You can imagine people can no longer go to Church due to the fact that garbage has even crossed the Church premises; that is Kaburangire Church of Uganda,” Kambamu said.

Wilson Twinomujuni, a priest at  Kaburangire Church of Uganda accuses the leadership of Mbarara city council of being adamant on issues that concern the public. He said that the church and the primary school neighbouring the dumping site are in danger.

Adding that apparently the garbage has been dumped in front of the Church, and the school something that may result into causing strange diseases in the community.

He also says that children from Kaburangire Primary School have resorted to feasting on dumped food from the dumping site. He appealed to the authorities to intervene and save the lives of the people.

The residents also want the dumping site to be closed, and shifted to another place, out of town.