The residents say garbage collectors have gone nearly two weeks without picking up waste from homes and businesses, leaving piles of rubbish along roadsides and in residential areas.
They fear the waste could become a breeding ground for disease-causing organisms, especially during the rainy season, and have called on municipal authorities to urgently address the problem.
“We have now spent close to two weeks with garbage lying around our homes. The bad smell is unbearable, and we are worried that children and other residents could easily contract diseases if this situation is not addressed immediately,” one resident said.
Another resident urged the municipality to treat waste collection as an essential service.
“Garbage collection is a public service. We pay taxes expecting such services, and we call upon the municipality to ensure waste is collected regularly before the situation gets out of hand,” the resident said.
Ibanda Municipality Town Clerk Authaman Ssebaduka acknowledged the delay, attributing it to the expiry of the municipality’s contract with the garbage collection service provider.
“The contract with our service provider had expired, which temporarily affected garbage collection. However, the renewal process is underway, and our teams have already resumed collecting garbage as usual. We ask residents to remain calm as the situation returns to normal,” Ssebaduka said.
The waste management concerns come weeks after residents raised similar complaints about poor garbage disposal in the municipality, accusing authorities of failing to manage solid waste effectively.
Some residents resorted to dumping rubbish in drainage channels, raising concerns about blocked water channels and possible disease outbreaks.
Municipal authorities have admitted that waste management remains a major challenge in Ibanda, partly due to the lack of a permanent garbage disposal site.
Ssebaduka said the municipality is working on a long-term solution, including acquiring land for a modern waste disposal facility.
“One of our biggest challenges has been the lack of a proper garbage disposal site. We are in the process of acquiring land where we intend to establish a modern dumping site that will improve waste management within the municipality,” he said.
Residents have urged the municipality to ensure consistent garbage collection, saying effective waste management is critical to protecting public health and maintaining a clean urban environment.