Civil society participation in urban sanitation and solid waste management in Uganda

Abstract

The inability of local governments to provide basic environmental services in African urban centres often results in the involvement of other actors in urban sanitation and solid waste provisioning, such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community-based organisations (CBOs) and private companies. Although NGOs and CBOs are becoming increasingly engaged in urban service provisioning, little systematic knowledge exists on the kind of activities they take up and the results of these activities. This paper reviews the role of NGOs and CBOs in sanitation and solid waste management in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Against the background of a modernised mixtures perspective and the partnership paradigm, an assessment is made of NGOs and CBOs in provisioning these environmental services. Data were gathered through a survey, face-to-face interviews, and the use of scientific literature, official reports and informal documents. Over 40 NGOs and CBOs were found to be actively involved – often in partnership – in the implementation and development of sanitation and solid waste activities. Their results are, however, seriously hampered by financial, policy and political challenges in implementing successful sanitation and solid waste collection projects.

Keywords:

• Africa
• CBO
• NGO
• environmental services
• sanitation
• solid waste management

Acknowledgement

We would like to extend our appreciation to the Interdisciplinary Research and Education Fund (INREF) of Wageningen University, the Netherlands, for funding this study. Special thanks go to the NGOs and CBOs for their invaluable time used to respond to the questionnaire and interviews.

Notes

The Kampala declaration on Sanitation was endorsed by all five Kampala districts and urges the government to create an enabling environment to facilitate the provision of urban services through NGO and CBO participation.

These three systems are onsite sanitation technologies that are pro-poor and also offer similar benefits and user convenience as the conventional systems. The systems require less water, which is a scarce commodity in those areas, and can be built and repaired with locally available materials. The systems also have low capital and operation costs and claim to be suitable for all types of users. Ecosan toilets are ecologically sustainable because they separate faeces and urine, which allows faeces to dehydrate and be treated to an appropriate level that is safe to use in agriculture. Urine can be recovered. It is suitable for Kampala because of the high water table. The VIP toilets have an external vertical vent pipe with a fly screen at the top, which reduces faecal odour and minimises fly breeding. However, the ecological sustainability of the VIP toilets and alternating pit latrines is debated, especially given the nature of the local conditions in Kampala, which are marshy and with a high water table.