A leisurely walk through any one of the four main streets of Kisoro Municipality means that you are bound to meet heaps of garbage stacked by the roadside.
Plastic bottles lay waste in most of the drainage systems across the growing border town while putrid smells from degradable materials fill the air.
This can be described as the default setting of Kisoro Municipality.
However, it wasn’t always this way.
Back before the lockdown and the nightly curfews, Kisoro Municipality was among the most sought after towns in the country because of its clean streets, fresh air and beautiful flowers along the road side.
In a bid to regain some control, the Kisoro Municipal council recently passed by laws indicating new rates for garbage collection.
According to the rates seen by Voice of Muhabura, each shop within the municipality will be required to pay a monthly fee of 2000 Ugandan shillings for garbage generated.
The homely neighborhoods of Kisoro Municipality will also pay up to 1000 Ugandan shillings per sack of rubbish generated, Hotels 1000 Ugandan shillings per sack, Bus parks 30,000 Ugandan shillings per month, Boda Boda stages 5000 Ugandan shillings per month, as is stipulated by the new by-laws.
All Markets including Rusiza, Gatimba, Old and New Markets will pay 100,000 Ugandan shillings per month while schools will also be required to pay 100,000 Ugandan shillings on a monthly basis.
Kisoro Municipal Health Inspector Moses Acar says, the by-laws take effect immediately.
According to Acar, anyone caught littering will have to pay a hefty fine.
“Managing and disposal of garbage has been one of the major challenges in the Municipality. We believe that if the public adopts the new practice of paying for garbage generated, we can see a clean and healthy Municipality, Acar explained
Kisoro Municipality Sothern division councilor James Agaba says the decision to introduce garbage collection fees is in line with development Kisoro Municipality into a tourism city.
Public speaks out
Kisoro United Boda Boda Association (KUBO) Secretary General Baker Batamukoraho says it’s absurd that all boda boda stages will have to pay garbage collection fees and yet boda boda riders do not stay parked long enough to generate rubbish.
Kisoro Main Village LC I chairperson Francesca Kayihura commonly known as Mama Marion says, the Municipal councilors should have first consulted the people before taking a draconian decision.
Byensi Expedito, the head of the business community says the decision to impose garbage collection fees on people without first making adequate consultations goes against the will of the people.
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