Govt to import 10,000 garbage bins ahead of NAM, G-77 Summits

Kampala, (UG): Government has announced plans to import 10,000 garbage bins in preparation for the upcoming 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Group of 77 (G77) + China Summits in January next year.

The importation of these garbage bins according to the government is to reduce littering that always occurs in Kampala metropolitan areas. Each bin will cost between Shs2 million to Shs2.5 million.

While addressing the media on the progress of works done by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Hon Kyofatogabye Kabuye, the Minister of State for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs stated that an order of 500 garbage bins has already been made and these are expected to be in Uganda by 10th December 2023.

“We imported about 500 bins, but we have a contract for importation of 10,000 bins. Unfortunately, the time the supplier wants is almost a full year to finish the whole consignment,” he said.

The minister further highlighted that these garbage bins are to be installed in different places starting from Munyonyo, where the summit’s conference hall is being constructed up to the city centre.

Despite the cost being quite alarming, Hon Kyofatogabye Kabuye the Minister of State for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs said these bins are a bit fancy compared to other garbage or dust bins one may know.

“We shall teach Ugandans how to use these bins. They are a bit fancy and romantic if you want to use that word. But we will be emptying them at the cost of the supplier and KCCA,” he added.

Besides the 500 expected to be in Uganda by December, Kyofatogabye stresses that at the summit, the government will install all the other garbage bins (10,000) around Kampala.

The minister called upon Ugandans to try at whatever cost, to make use of the new fancy bins expected to be in town by December this year and after the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit.

“Try to use those bins to dump your garbage and whatever rubbish you will have in your hands. But don’t dump their other things because I know what some of you do. You use polythene bags for nature calls and then you dump them in bins,”

Additionally, to promote sanitation in Kampala, the minister noted that public toilets are being opened around Kampala, especially in areas like Constitutional Square.

The Non-Aligned Movement international organization is dedicated to representing the interests and aspirations of developing countries. It comprises 120 member states, which emerged in the context of the wave of decolonization that followed World War II.