Kapchorwa’s Garbage Crisis Sparks Outrage as Waste Overflows Into Mayor’s Garden

Kapchorwa Municipality, the hometown of Uganda’s Minister of Water and Environment, Sam Cheptoris, is facing a severe waste management crisis, raising serious health and environmental concerns.

Authorities, lacking a designated landfill, have resorted to dumping waste in the mayor’s garden, angering residents who have decried the irresponsible disposal of hazardous materials such as used syringes, gloves, and diagnostic waste.

The crisis escalated when a municipal garbage truck loaded with waste was seized by furious residents who threatened to set it ablaze in protest.

“We hoped that the mayor’s garden would be a model of a clean environment, but instead, it’s being violated by the very people responsible for protecting it,” said Gertrude Cherop, a resident of Kaptinga Cell.

The dumping has fueled concerns about public health and environmental safety. Waste piling up in the mayor’s garden poses a direct threat to the nearby river, which serves as a primary water source for the community.

“The Kyespkuroy stream carries all this waste downstream, and we’re worried about how people downstream are surviving,” Cherop added.

"This is unacceptable," said Joel Cherop, another resident. "I have been drinking this water since I was born. Why are the authorities doing this to us?"

Local leaders have come under fire for their failure to resolve the worsening waste problem.

“I am very bitter with the council for failing to resolve this issue for the community. This is the worst municipality. It doesn’t even look like one. They need to go out and see what a proper municipality is supposed to look like,” said Cherop.

Her frustration reflects the growing dissatisfaction among residents, who say authorities have pushed for urban status without meeting basic infrastructure and service delivery standards.

Despite repeated calls for action, the local government has struggled to address the crisis, citing difficulties in securing land for a designated landfill.

Officials argue that land scarcity within the district has hindered efforts to establish a proper waste disposal system, forcing the municipality to send fecal waste to Mbale—an alternative that has become costly for local families.

Minister Sam Cheptoris, who also serves as Kapchorwa Municipality’s representative in Parliament, has previously allocated funds to improve sanitation in his constituency.

However, the failure to secure a landfill continues to undermine these efforts.

This crisis in Cheptoris' own hometown underscores the urgent need for proper physical planning as a foundation for urbanization.

Without immediate intervention, Kapchorwa’s waste management crisis is set to worsen, endangering both the community and its natural resources.