Busia Municipal launches crackdown on landlords

Busia Municipal leaders in door to door enforcement.
Kampala, Uganda | URN | Rising cases of poor hygiene and waste mismanagement have forced Busia Municipal Council to conduct a door-to-door operation targeting landlords and households with inadequate sanitation facilities. The crackdown, carried out on Monday morning, targeted premises without latrines and proper garbage management systems in an effort to curb waste choking drainage channels in Busia Town.
During the operation, houses belonging to three landlords in Kisenyi B Village were closed after tenants were found disposing of human waste in drainage channels, exposing the area to disease outbreaks such as cholera. Moses Okurut, the Principal Health Inspector at Busia Municipal Council, said the exercise is aimed at compelling communities to clean their surroundings and ensure landlords provide proper sanitation facilities. He noted that indiscriminate waste disposal remains a major challenge, with many parts of the town littered with garbage, polluting the environment.
Busia Town Mayor Sadiq Amin Agele, who also serves as Secretary for Health, said poor garbage management has led to blockage of newly constructed drainage channels, causing flooding in parts of the town.
He added that the closed premises lacked soak pits and proper drainage systems, worsening sanitation conditions. He emphasized that the operation will continue until hygiene standards improve.
Bashir Wanyama, Chairperson of the Works Committee, said the situation has been worsened by the failure of the contracted garbage collector to effectively carry out waste collection.
Teddy Nabwire, one of the affected landlords, blamed street vendors and street children for dumping waste and defecating in drainage channels and around her premises at night. She appealed to the municipal authorities to take action against street vendors and street children.
Godfrey Ongwabe, a resident, faulted the municipal authorities for failing to collect garbage, leading to heaps of waste accumulating across the town. He called on relevant authorities to urgently intervene to protect residents from health risks.
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www.independent.co.ug, https://www.independent.co.ug/poor-sanitation-busia-municipal-council-launch-crackdown-on-landlords/