By KT Reporter
The welfare of city cleaners took centre stage on Tuesday during President Yoweri Museveni’s campaign rally in Kawempe Division, as residents and leaders spoke out about the men and women who wake up before dawn to keep Kampala clean.
For the more than 2,000 cleaners who sweep roads, collect garbage and unclog drainage channels, the rally became a rare moment where their daily struggles were pushed to the national spotlight.
Speakers called for increased funding to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) so that cleaners can be paid better, supported properly and given the tools they need to do their work.
President Museveni asked KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki to explain how the cleaners are recruited and paid.
Buzeki said KCCA contracts the cleaners under a reservation scheme arrangement that prioritises vulnerable city residents who rely on daily work to feed their families.
She explained that the cleaners are organised in member-owned Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs), including Community SACCO and 7 Hills SACCO, which workers voluntarily join.
“KCCA pays the money directly to the SACCO accounts to ensure accountability,” Buzeki said, adding that the arrangement allows residents to earn a living from cleaning the city instead of KCCA contracting private companies.
She thanked President Museveni for an earlier intervention that allowed both SACCOs to operate after only one had initially been assigned work. The move, she said, enabled more cleaners to return to work and sustain their livelihoods.
Despite the model, concerns were raised over pay. City cleaners currently earn UGX 6,000 per day, translating to about UGX150,000 per month after deductions. Leaders at the rally appealed for an increase to at least UGX10,000 per day, citing rising living costs and the physically demanding nature of the work.
Buzeki said KCCA has supplemented wages by providing funds for personal protective equipment through the SACCOs, allowing members to purchase their own gear, including gloves and boots, as needed.
As Kawempe Division and other parts of Kampala continue to expand, with new roads under construction, leaders called for the recruitment of more cleaners to maintain the growing road network and create additional jobs.
Kawempe Division NRM Chairperson Madina Nsereko who is also the NRM flga bearer for Kawempe South MP seat said improving the lives of cleaners starts with increasing funding to KCCA.
“These are mothers and fathers who keep our streets clean every single day. If KCCA is funded better, they can be paid better, and the city will be cleaner,” Nsereko said.
She also pointed to the garbage crisis in Kawempe, where 23 parishes share only three garbage trucks, forcing waste to be transported to Buyala, about 20 kilometres away. Residents said the shortage slows collection and adds to the workload of cleaners.
As new roads open up across Kawempe and other parts of Kampala, leaders and residents called for the recruitment of more cleaners so that the growing city does not overwhelm the existing workforce.
-KCCA. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
