One thing about walking is that you have more time to take in your surroundings than when you run or bike past. While it’s great to see daily life up close, it’s not always a bed of roses. The amount of litter and the way rubbish is dealt with here in Uganda is disgusting me. TIA is not an excuse – Nairobi city centre has litter bins AND people actually use them. Rwanda has something called Umuganda, which is a monthly community service where every adult resident is expected to make some sort of contribution, including taking to the streets and picking up litter. There is a now notorious story of when our secondary school kids went to Bukoto market to clean up some of the rubbish and found … wait for it … a rotting, dead dog! Yesterday, we literally held our noses and ran as we passed a stinking tip of burning rubbish. I pay 10 000 Shillings a month for my refuse collection, but have no idea what happens to it afterwards. I have a sneaking suspicion that it is loaded onto the truck and just dumped on one of the numerous tips in and around the city.
In school, we have a constant battle to get the kids to pick up their litter responsibly. Little wonder they leave a trail of snack wrappers behind them when they see adults throw their litter on the street or out of matatu taxi windows on a daily basis.
The other day I heard an interview on the radio with a politician and they were discussing the subject of litter bins in the city. The politician seemed to think that Ugandans wouldn’t bother using them, even if they were there. When is Uganda going to wake up to the fact that this litter is not just unattractive, but harmful to the environment and health of the people?
