KAMPALA, Uganda – A 26-year-old Kampala man, captured in a widely circulated social media video brazenly dumping sacks of garbage into a drainage channel, has been apprehended by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) enforcement officers.
The suspect, identified as Ronald Katende, a casual worker residing in Kasule Zone, Makindye Division, was taken into custody following the emergence of the incriminating footage.
Authorities revealed Tuesday that Katende had allegedly established a routine of collecting solid waste from within the community and then illegally discarding it along Queensway in Katwe, Makindye Division.
This irresponsible act, officials emphasized, presented a serious and escalating health hazard to the numerous residents in the vicinity.
In response to this and other instances of illegal waste disposal, KCCA has issued a stern warning, vowing to intensify its ongoing crackdown on such activities.
Officials specifically cautioned individuals who engage or employ others to dump garbage into drainage channels to immediately cease this practice, underscoring the severe consequences that await those who continue to flout environmental regulations.
The authorities further cited the National Environment Act Cap 181, which clearly stipulates under Section 97(4) that littering constitutes a criminal offense. According to the Act, any person found in violation faces potential penalties upon conviction, including a substantial fine not exceeding five hundred and fifty currency points (equivalent to 11,000,000 Ugandan Shillings), a term of imprisonment, or both.
The dumping of garbage into drainage systems remains a regrettably common practice among some city dwellers, exacerbating sanitation challenges and increasing the risk of disease outbreaks within the capital.
