Hoima's Kibati dwellers tired of blocking nostrils from stench, now to block garbage trucks

Four kilometres from Hoima City is Kibati Ward, home of the city's garbage collection site that was put in place in 2010.

Since then, garbage collected from Hoima has been piling up at the site that covers about three acres.

It is now full, with the local leaders accusing the city leadership for poor management of the site.

Erias Byonta, the Katugo Kibati local council 1 chairman, says the population in Kibati can no longer contain the stench from the site.

"By the time they brought this site here, the population had not grown, but imagine garbage from the entire city being dumped here," Byonta said.

James Mawino Bitamazire, a retired primary school teacher, says a lot of people have abandoned rental houses in the area due to the situation.

"Some of us are still here because of the economic hardship, but if I had money I would have left," said the shanty kiosk dealer.

"You can't imagine staying in a place where every hour you are hit with a terrible stench, children even fall sick and we are told it's hygiene related diseases," Bitamazire cried out

Byonta says they are planning to rally residents to block city garbage trucks from dumping garbage in Kibati with hope it's when the city will listen to their cry.

"One time we made noise when Chinese had come to dump garbage, and they brought a Chinese company that recycles garbage, but now it's worse," Byonta said.

"We are tired and we are going to rally people to demonstrate and block garbage trucks from dumping in Kibati, let them find another place."

Sylvia Nalumaga, the Hoima city deputy mayor, said they have already allocated Shs200 million in this financial year to buy 50 acres of land for a new dumping site.

"We truly understand the situation in Kibati, but we have already allocated money for land outside the city but it's not easy to find 50 acres altogether, we want to ask people to be patient as we address the matter," Nalumaga said.