WASTE MANAGEMENT WITH IN URBAN AREAS IN UGANDA; A CASE STUDY OF KYAZANGA TOWN COUNCIL, LWENGO DISTRICT. BY Natamba Shadrack Signature ………………………. Date …………………… RS09M13/503 A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES OF UGANDA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY. SEPTEMBER /2011
Transcript
1. WASTE MANAGEMENT WITH IN URBAN AREAS IN UGANDA; A CASE STUDY
OF KYAZANGA TOWN COUNCIL, LWENGO DISTRICT. BY Natamba Shadrack
Signature . Date RS09M13/503 A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES OF UGANDA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY. SEPTEMBER
/2011
2. ABSTRACTThe study on waste management with in urban areas in
Uganda; A case study of KyazangaTown Council, Lwengo District. The
situation of waste management in the emerging TCs isalarming and it
was upon these observations that the researcher was compelled to
carry out thestudy. The objective of the study was to establish the
underlying causes of poor wastemanagement and to seek opinions from
the local people on how the problem would be solved.This research
acknowledges the fact that many scholars have written a lot on
wastemanagement. Therefore, this research contains literature that
has been reviewed from differentscholars that relate to the study.
This literature helped the researcher to be in position to
relateand verify whether what other scholars have written could be
applicable to Kyazanga and thishelped in identifying the gap that
these researchers have not been able to identify.An exploratory
research design was used to explore all dimensions of poor waste
management.A mixed methods approach was used to obtain a variety of
information on poor wastemanagement. The primary data which was
collected from the field using Questionnaires andinterview guides
was recorded, tabulated and analyzed using tables to come up with
theinformation about the causes of poor waste management in urban
areas in Uganda; A case ofKyazanga TC.The reasons of the persistent
poor waste management are beyond the numerous legal
andinstitutional frame works in place despite their presence. These
include; ignorance, lack ofdumping site, lack of the technical
staff, failure to prioritize waste management especially
duringbudgeting among others.Recommendations have been made for
example, the researcher advised that waste managementbe prioritized
in the TCs action plans and budget allocations, and commitment of
stakeholders9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
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3. in the terms of providing finances, time and materials to
implement waste management plannedactivities, strengthen the
existing initiatives on waste management for instance the
Volunteeryouth group and this could be done by giving the group an
opportunity to collect wastes/garbagefrom the Council and be paid
for the services, and finally the researcher advised the Council
torevise and strengthen the by-laws and legislation relating to
waste management as well as theirenforcement and the need for major
generators of waste e.g. markets, schools to manage theirown wastes
through developing frame works and self regulation e.g. by-laws for
wastemanagement among other many recommendations.9/5/2011 shadrack
Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
4. DECLARATION I Natamba Shadrack declare that this piece of
work is the first of its kind and its not a photocopy of someones
work. I am the author of this dissertation and any assistance I
received in preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed. Any
sources of data, ideas and words either direct or paraphrased have
been cited in this piece of work. I certify that this dissertation
was prepared by me with the guidance of my supervisor specifically
for the partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Arts in
Development studies of Uganda Christian University. NATAMBA
SHADRACK (1ST September, 2011).9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
5. DEDICATION: I also dedicate this work to my family members;
dad, mum, and my siblings and my fianc. I do dedicate this piece of
work to Ps. Billy Rutledge from Hetteras island Church, United
states and church at large for supporting me throughout my study of
this Masters degree. You made it possible for me to accomplish this
study.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
6. AKNOWLEDGEMENTI am totally convinced that the success in
getting this study done did not come by single effortsof my hands
but the efforts of different players whose contributions were very
instrumental tosee me through.First and foremost, I want to thank
the Almighty God for the insights, guidance, energy andwisdom to
complete this dissertation.My highest gratitude goes to my
University supervisor, Mr. Kizito Martin for guiding, collectingand
directing me throughout this study.I particularly express my
sincere appreciations to the Town clerk of Kyazanga TC, Mr.
MayanjaMajwala Badru for the time he spent with me during the
research, moving with me and helpingin identifying the key
informants who helped me in data collection.Special thanks go to my
all respondents, I cannot mention each of you by name but I hold
you sodearly. Thanks for the information.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
7. KEY ACRONYM AND ABBREVIATIONSPEAP: poverty Eradication
Action PlanNEMA: National Environmental Management AuthorityNGO:
Non-Governmental OrganizationCBO: Community Based OrganizationEIA:
Environmental Impact AssessmentUNDP: United Nations Development
ProgrammeT.C: Town CouncilMDG: Millennium Development GoalKTC:
Kyazanga Town CouncilWHO: World Health OrganizationUNFCCC: United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.CDM: Clean
Development Mechanism.GHGs: Greenhouse gasses9/5/2011 shadrack
Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
8. CHAPTER ONE1.0 Introduction.Uganda like many countries in
the world suffers from poor waste management. Poor wastemanagement
is increasingly becoming a big problem in many cities in sub-sahara
Africa andKyazanga is no exception. This study was conducted in
Kyazanga Town council, LwengoDistrict where by the researcher
sought to explore the underlying causes of poor wastemanagement in
the Town Council and at the end of the research, number of possible
solutionswere proposed. The study investigated the relationship
between waste management and what ismanifested as a result of the
phenomenon (effects).It was found that waste management is not an
isolated phenomenon that can be easily classifiedand solved with
one strategy. The study found out that poor waste management is
particularly anurban issue that is closely related, directly or
indirectly, to a number of issues such as urbanlifestyles, resource
consumption patterns, jobs and income levels, and other
socio-economic andcultural issues. All these issues have to be
brought together on a common platform in order toensure a long-term
solution to urban waste.Talking about methodology, this research
being exploratory in nature, it used mixed methodsapproach because
of the need to obtain a variety of information on poor waste
management. Anon-probability sampling techniques like purposive and
quota sampling techniques will beemployed. Questionnaires and
interview guides were administered to those sampled toparticipate
in the study about the causes of poor waste management and these
were supplemented9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
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9. by observation. Data was analyzed in line with the research
objectives and questions andrecommendations were made
accordingly.Therefore, the study was seeking to validate what other
scholars have written about poor wastemanagement as a whole and how
applicable to the people of Kyazanga Town Council.1.1 Background of
the StudyThe management of waste is one of the challenges facing
many urban areas in the world. Wherethere is an aggregation of
human settlements with the potential to produce a large amount
ofsolid waste; the collection, transfer and disposal of that waste
has been generally assumed bymunicipal authorities in the developed
world. The format varies, however in most urban areas.Wastes are
collected either by a government agency or private contractor, and
this constitutes abasic and expected government function in the
developed world (Zerbock, 2003).Developing countries have solid
waste management problems different than those found in
fullyindustrialized countries; indeed, the very composition of
their waste is different from that ofdeveloped nations. Although
low-income countries solid waste generation rates average only0.4
to 0.6 kg/person/day, as opposed to 0.7 to 1.8 kg/person/day in
fully industrialized countries,Cointreau (1982) and others (Blight
and Mbande 1996, Arlosoroff 1982) noted several commondifferences
in the composition of solid waste in developing nations: Waste
density 2-3 times greater than industrialized nations, Moisture
content 2-3 times greater, Large amount of organic waste (vegetable
matter, etc.), Large quantities of dust, dirt (street sweepings,
etc) Smaller particle size on average than in industrialized
nations.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
10. These differences from industrialized nations must be
recognized both in terms of the additionalproblems they present as
well as the potential opportunities which arise from their
wastecomposition.As earlier noted in the introduction, Poor waste
management is not an individual countrysproblem but rather it is
increasingly becoming a big problem in many cities of the world.
Forinstance, according to the 1999 State of the Environment Report
for South Africa (DEAT, 1999),the country generates over 42 million
m3 of solid waste every year. This is about 0.7 kg perperson per
day, which is more typical of developed countries than a developing
country (bycomparison the figure in the UK is 0.73 kg, 0.87 kg in
Singapore and 0.3 kg in Nepal). Inaddition, 5 million m3 of
hazardous waste is generated every year (DEAT, 1999). Every day
2.6million of domestic and commercial waste water is processed at
treatment works. The last figuredoes not include agricultural and
some industrial waste, which are the largest sources of waste(DEAT,
1999).In Uganda like in many other developing countries, typically
one to two thirds of the wastegenerated is not collected (Zerbock,
2003). As a result, the uncollected waste, which is often alsomixed
with human and animal excreta, is dumped indiscriminately in the
streets/wards and indrains, contributing to flooding, breeding of
insect and rodent vectors and the spread of diseasessuch as cholera
among others.Most researchers have linked Waste generation directly
to the size of population and the variousactivities undertaken by
different categories of the population including large scale
industries,small-scale industries, trading/businesses, municipal
farming, household, schools and hospitalsamong others. Hence, it
clearly means that waste generation will increase with
increasingpopulation growth (ibid).9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
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11. In Kampala alone, waste generation estimations have been
rated at 0.2 metric tons per personannually on average (Ngategize
et al., 2001). Therefore, considering an urban population of
3.7million people that is; 13.4% of the total population (Uganda
Population secretariat, 2007), itmeans that approximately 740,000
metric tons of solid waste are generated in urban areas peryear. Of
this, only 41% solid waste generated is disposed off properly
(UNDP, 2005). Theremaining 51% is left uncollected thereby ending
up dumped in drainage and sanitary drainagechannels, natural water
courses, manholes, undeveloped plots and road sides among other
unfitplaces (NEMA, 2004).Poverty Eradication Plan (PEAP) recognizes
that waste management is almost non-existent inUganda. It denotes
that for instance in Kampala, refuse is collected from only 20% of
thepopulation and only half of it is disposed in a proper way with
the rest being dumpedindiscriminately (PEAP, 2004/2005).
Furthermore, little attention has been given to waste waterdisposal
and storm drainage. Drainage is poor and limited to major roads and
pathways.Most local governments and urban agencies have, time and
again, identified solid waste as amajor problem and this has been
attributed to poor institutional arrangements, poor
technologiesused and lack of the capacity to handle wastes (ibid).
This has reached proportions requiringdrastic measures. We can
observe three key trends with respect to waste - increase in
sheervolume of waste generated by urban residents; change in the
quality or make-up of wastegenerated; and the disposal method of
waste collected, by land-fill, incineration among others.
Inrelation to Kyazanga, the researchers efforts to find the related
literature were futile. However,as already mentioned, this research
established that Kyazanga TC was not be unique from otherurban
areas. (See the findings in Chpt 4).9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
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12. In conclusion, it is important that the right action be
carried out at the right level. Thus, actions atthe household level
should be predominantly social, technology and economic in
nature.Similarly actions to be taken at the state and nation level
should also be predominantlyeconomic, political and administrative
in nature.1.2 Problem Statement.Despite several efforts, legal and
institutional frame works that are in place to enhance properwaste
management, there is still persistent poor waste management in
Uganda and Kyazangainclusive. Legal frame works like the
constitution of the Republic of Uganda 1995 Article 245(a) provides
measures intended-To protect and preserve the environment from
abuse, pollutionand degradation,1 The National Environment (Waste
Management) Regulations, S.I. No52/1999;2 The Local Government Act
1997, all have provisions of how all wastes shall beproperly
managed among other regulatory frame works likePeople do not care
about the way wastes are handled be because of the ignorance about
thelikely dangers of poor waste management and the institutions
like the Town Council has notplayed its part as well due to both
human and financial resources.In addition to the above, there is
the lack of proper institutional arrangements, poor
technologieslike lack of modern trucks and the lack of the capacity
by the council to handle the wastesgenerated and there is no
Private-Public partnership or CBOs ready to do the work.1 The
constitution also enshrines a constitutional right to a clean and
healthy environment in its article 39.Civil society has used
article 50 of the constitution to enforce this right using public
interest litigation.2The National Environment (Waste Management)
Regulations, S.I. No 52/1999. STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS.1999 No. 52.
Regulations, 1999. (Under sections 53(2) and 107 of the National
Environment Act, Cap 153) [19thOctober 1999]9/5/2011 shadrack
Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
13. For instance, Studies indicate that each person in Kampala
city produces 1 Kg of solid waste perday (Tenywa et al., 2007). The
waste generated in towns in Uganda, Kyazanga inclusive ishardly
collected and even what is collected is not sorted and there is no
gazetted area to disposeoff wastes. Additionally, even the
government development programs rarely put wastemanagement aspects
into consideration for instance the health facilities, public
markets, schoolsamong others. Furthermore, there are limited
appropriate technologies and practices for wastemanagement and also
the limited capacity among stakeholders (technocrats, extension
agents,private sector etc) in addressing waste management
issues.This state of affairs has far reaching implications on
community livelihoods and environmentposing great health risks for
instance; solid waste at informal disposal sites produces toxic
gases,bad odour and creates air pollution. This has led to
increased incidences of diseases like cough,diarrhea, Fever among
others, hence increasing public expenditure on drugs. Yet a
properlymanaged waste is wealth (Zake et al 2008:6). Wastes have
got enormous opportunities forinstance metallic containers can be
used to make paraffin candles (tadoba), children toys, simplelocal
measuring cans, wrapping paper and envelopes out paper wastes, and
waste can be analternative to generate fuel. A case in point is
Kasubi community development association whichhas resorted to using
banana peelings to come up with charcoal briquettes and this has
madehouse hold energy conserved (EA, 2007). This problem of poor
waste management requiresinnovative solutions and one of the
solutions could be a participatory approach where the localpeople
are involved to define the problem and then propose the
solutions.Therefore, this study sought to explore the causes of
poor waste Management and the localpeoples opinions on how the
problem would be minimized. The data gathered in this study9/5/2011
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14. provided leaders with information relating to how they may
address or mitigate factorsresponsible for poor waste management in
the Town council.1.3 The purpose of the studyThe purpose of this
study was to establish the underlying causes of poor waste
management andto seek the local peoples opinions on how the problem
would be handled.1.4.1 Specific objectives To find out the means
used too collect, transport and dispose off wastes. To establish
the underlying causes of poor waste management in Kyazanga Town
Council from both the leaders and the local people. To identify the
possible solutions to archive proper waste management.1.4.2
Research Questions. What mechanisms are in place to collect,
transport and dispose off wastes in the town council? What are the
causes of poor waste management in Kyazanga T.C.? Are there ways
that can be employed to deal with poor waste management in the
council?1.5 Scope of the Study.1.5.1 Geographical scopeThe study
was conducted in Kyazanga Town council one of the Newest Town
Councils thatgained status in July 2010, Lwengo district, which is
located in the Western wing of centralregion. The town council is
bordered by Masaka in the east, Rakai in the south, Lyantonde in
thewest and Sembabule in the North. The study covered 100
respondents in the bid to establish theunderlying causes of poor
waste management in Kyazanga Town Council and the studyemployed
both quantitative and qualitative methods.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
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15. 1.5.2 Study scopeThis study helped identify the causes of
poor waste management in Kyazanga T.C, and remedieswere developed.
The study confined only on wastes from households, schools and
health centresin the selected zones. The study highlighted the
effectiveness of the current waste managementpolicies. As a result
the necessary remedies were recommended. The studies also drew
lessonsfrom best practices elsewhere and suggested ways of adopting
them.The researcher reviewed documents, reports and collected data
from 2005 to date. The datacollected covered five years before
Kyazanga gained a Town Council status and after in order tobe able
to illustrate whether with the new status, the problem of poor
waste management hasreduced, remained the same or intensified. 1.6
Significance of the StudyIt is hoped that the findings of this
study will help raise awareness on issues pertaining to
wastemanagement for the community and policy makers especially at
the Town council level. And thisawareness will help build
initiatives to reduce the problem. A copy of this research shall be
sentto the Town Council upon approval by the University
authorities.The study will help provoke debate on waste management
issues. In the course of this debatebetter options may be developed
and these would be helpful to the urban authorities in
theirplanning strategies since they will be able to identify the
gaps existing in the waste management.Partners in development could
use this information by identifying specific income
generatingactivities, thus making waste contribute to the poverty
eradication programme in KyazangaTown council. In his studies in
Kenya, Kim (1998), notes, while there is considerabledocumentation
on innovative community-level waste management schemes in Asian and
Latin9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
16. American cities, little research has been done on the
importance of, and potential for, waste re-use in African cities.
This study identified the contribution of waste.(see Chapt.4).This
research generated more information to the already existing body of
knowledge in the areaof waste management and to Kyazanga, it is the
first one of this kind.In addition to the above, the study will
also provide future scholars and researchers withinformation
regarding the causes of poor waste management especially in
Kyazanga Towncouncil.1.7 JustificationIt is highlighted that Africa
is littered with non-engineered landfill sites and other
inefficientmeans of waste disposal strategies for instance;
Incinerators with inappropriate air pollutioncontrol devices. This
unpleasant development has led to some untimely human deaths,
whichwas estimated to be up to 20,000 in a year (NEMA, 1998).Poor
waste management has been found to result into pollution of both
surface and ground waterthrough the leachate draining and impairing
the permeability of soils as well as blockage ofdrainage systems
(NEMA, 1998). Studies in the Kasubi- Kawala area have established
that thecount of harmful Coliforms (1980 cfu/ml), Eschelica coli
(540 cfu/ml) in protected springs farexceed the World Health
Organization (WHO) thresholds (0 cfu/ml).It was against this
background that the study on waste management was carried out to
explorethe underlying causes to the challenges of waste management
in Kyazanga town and indeed thecauses were identified and possible
remedies suggested.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
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17. 1.9 Conceptual framework illustrating the relationship
between the causes of poor waste management and its effects. The
conceptual frame work illustrates the relationship between the
presumed causes (independent variables like- lack of awareness,
Ignorance by the local people, Weak policies, Lack of enough
trained manpower, Inadequate funds etc) of poor waste management
and the presumed effects (dependent variables)-what is manifested
as a result of the phenomenon.Independent variables Dependent
Relationship Interventions variables Causes of poor waste
management Effects Public awareness creation Lack of awareness
Indiscriminative dumping Strengthening of the legal and Ignorance
by the local will lead to Infrastructure institutional framework
people destruction like roads Capacity building/training Lack of
enough trained Un-collected wastes, manpower Funding inventory of
dumping on roadsides this Weak policies leads to Contamination of
hazardous waste Inadequate funds water bodies Sanitation Expected
output and hygiene Buildings without Proper waste management
dumping sites Improved health Failure to implement the Save
income-that would laws have been spent on drugs Reduction on
expenditure on say fuel From the above illustration, it can be
observed that the presumed causes (independent variables) lead to
presumed effects (dependent variables). Independent variables like
lack of awareness lead to ignorance of the local people about the
effects of waste management, and lack of enough trained manpower
and weak policies and inadequate funds are presumed to lead to
indiscriminative dumping of wastes on roadsides; the residents set
structures like buildings without dumping sites because of weak
laws among others. 9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
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18. It was found out that all these led to a number of Health
problems and these include;Infrastructure destruction,
Contamination of water bodies and Sanitation and hygiene
andenvironmental degradation.However, it is presumed that
strengthening the legal and institutional frameworks,
capacitybuilding and funding inventory of hazardous waste among
others will yield several outputs likeProper waste management,
improved health since the cause of illness will have been dealt
with,save income-that would have been spent on drugs and also save
the environment from beingpolluted among others9/5/2011 shadrack
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19. CHAPTER TWO2.0 Literature Review2.1 IntroductionIn this
chapter, attempts were made to review relevant literature to help
in the understanding ofpoor waste management. The researcher
acknowledges the fact that there is some literature onwaste
management in Towns of Uganda and in other countries of the world.
Most of theliterature reviewed was from the different sources like
text books, websites, News papers andjournals. In this section, the
main purpose was to review issues related to waste management
thathave been investigated by other researchers, in order to gain
more insights into the subject underthe study and avoid
duplications of efforts in this area.2.2 Definition of terms and
concepts.Waste is a man-made substance in a given time and places
which in its actual structure and stateis not useful to the owner
or is an output without an owner and purpose. In other words, waste
isanything that we no longer need. It is also commonly referred to
as rubbish, trash, garbage,refuse, effluents and unwanted or
unusable materials. (Zake J: 2007).Synonymous to solid waste are
terms such as garbage, trash, refuse and rubbish(Zurbrugg, 2000).
Urban dwellers generally consume more resources than rural
dwellers, and sogenerate large quantities of solid waste and
sewage. For example, solid waste disposal is a majorproblem in
urban African centres, where more than half the populationIt is
important to note that wastes take two forms that is; solid or
liquid wastes; Solid wastes referto particles or materials which
are no longer useful to their owners and which require to be
20. discarded. They are movable objects, which have no direct
use and or no current market valueor no use to the individual that
they require to be disposed off. They are bothorganic/biodegradable
for instance the waste generated from animal and plant remains; it
may bebroken down by living organisms such as bacteria, protozoa
and fungi. This form of wasteoccurs as green plant tissue waste,
food remains, paper, animal and waste (faeces and urine),
andnon-organic/non bio- degradable wastes, is that form of waste
that cannot be broken down byliving organisms. It includes metals,
polyethylene, most plastics and rubber. Most nonbiodegradable
wastes are produced from manufacturing industries.On the other
hand, Liquid wastes refer to waste materials that contain full
liquids. These includewaste water from industries, households;
sewerage and leachates from land fill or garbage heaps.This is
equally harmful to the water sources hence endangering both human
beings who dependon such water sources and the aquatic life. It
also destroys the land and its level of productivitysince some of
these wastes like grease, paints will deepen into the soils hence
affecting the soilalkalinity (Environmental Protection Agency,
2008).The term Waste Management includes all issues and processes
associated with the generation,processing, and disposal of all
categories of wastes produced by human activities or related
tohuman existence; it includes, therefore, the stages of production
and minimization, collection,handling and transportation, reuse and
recycling, and treatment and disposal of all such wastes.(Zake J,
2007)Despite the fact that waste handling and transport varies from
region to region, country tocountry, there are waste management
concepts that are universally accepted and implemented.9/5/2011
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21. These are the waste hierarchy or the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and
recycle), the extended producerresponsibility (EPR) and the
polluter pay principle.According to NEMA (2000), Solid waste
management encompasses generation, collection,transportation and
disposal of wastes. Authorities have the responsibility to ensure
safe, reliableand cost effective removal and disposal of solid
waste Garbage is collected from both the well todo households and
poor ones now lives in urban areas. Northern Africa is the most
urbanized,while in Southern and in Western and Central Africa,
urbanization levels are still lower (about33-37 percent.) East
Africa is the least urbanized sub-region, with 23 percent (United
NationsPopulations Division, 1997).2.3 Why undertake waste
management?Waste management is undertaken mainly to minimize the
effect of wastes on resource loss andconservation, health,
environment, costs, and aesthetics. It incurs financial and social
and othercosts including external costs. The term includes the
issue of regulation of the various aspectsof management of
wastes.Waste management is the process by which products and
by-products generated by business andindustry are collected,
stored, transported, treated, disposed off, recycled or reused in
an effort toreduce their effect on human health. Therefore, a
properly managed waste; that is well collectedand sorted recycled,
treated, disposed off hygienically will promote a clean and safe
environmentto live in. Waste management is practiced by small
businesses when they collect and sort theirwastes, recycle their
wastes, treat their wastes, dispose of their wastes or implement
ways ofreducing their waste (EPA, 2008).9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
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22. 2.4 Global perspective about waste generation and
management.Headley (1998) states that in Barbados, there are no
containers designated by municipalities orcollection companies to
set out waste for collection; it is up to individual residences
todesignate some sort of collection container. Frequently, these
are plastic barrels or discarded oildrums, however the majority of
households simply place grocery bags full of waste on the streetto
await collection. There may be physical dangers to waste workers in
dealing with the former;weather, animals, and other disturbances
prior to collection threaten the integrity of the latter. Inan
examination of current problems in Kenya, Mungai (1998) agreed that
the first step insanitary and efficient waste management must be to
ensure that all households use some formof corrosion-resistant
container with lids in order to facilitate collection. Lidded
containerswould exclude most animal pests, reduce the amount of
rainfall soaking into garbage and help toreduce trash blowing about
on the street.A major problem is that of development at or on top
of landfills; many shantytowns are builtfrom disposed-of waste and
in some cases entire neighborhoods are sited on top of
existinglandfills. For example, the Smoky Mountain dump in Manila,
Philippines had as many as 10,000families living in shacks on or
adjacent to the dump site (UNEP 1996). Aside from the obvioushealth
implications, these concentrations of people further complicate
transport and unloadingprocedures and present numerous safety and
logistical concerns (Blight and Mbande 1996).UNEP estimates that
approximately 100,000 people currently scavenge wastes at dump
sites inthe Latin American region alone. Further, many people, not
only those residing near landfills,make their living from
scavenging on solid waste before it enters the municipal waste
stream.Street-level waste picking often removes recyclables and
other high-value waste items from9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
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23. items set out for collection; although these practices
serve to reduce the overall quantity enteringthe waste stream,
these practices often scatter waste about, compounding problems for
pick-upand transfer operators (Pfammatter and Schertenleib 1996).
Although it takes only 5-10 secondsto empty a 45-gallon container
of waste into a collection truck, but 1-2 minutes to shovel
theequivalent amount of waste (Gage 1998). Any potential change to
the waste disposal frameworkmust take into account the urban poor,
many of whom may be dependent on waste scavengingfor their entire
subsistence. In one study at the Bisasar Road landfill in Durban,
South Africa,scavenging on waste supported 200 families, earning
the equivalent of $15,500 per month, or$77 per family per month
(Johannessen 1999).According to the 1999 State of the Environment
Report for South Africa (DEAT, 1999), thecountry generates over 42
million m3 of solid waste every year. This is about 0.7 kg per
personper day, which is more typical of developed countries than a
developing country (by comparisonthe figure in the UK is 0.73 kg,
0.87 kg in Singapore and 0.3 kg in Nepal). In addition, 5 millionm3
of hazardous waste is generated every year (DEAT, 1999). Every day
2.6 million of domesticand commercial waste water is processed at
treatment works. The last figure does not includeagricultural and
some industrial waste, which are the largest sources of waste
(DEAT, 1999).2.5 Challenges met in waste Reduction at the Global
level.Until recently, the focus in South Africa for example; has
been on waste disposal and impactcontrols or "end of the pipe"
treatment (DEAT, 2000). However, this focus has faced a numberof
challenges and these include: Lack of waste avoidance, minimization
and cleaner production technology initiatives; Lack of regulatory
initiatives to manage waste minimization;9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
24. Few incentives for reducing waste; Industries not required
submitting plans for waste disposal when applying to establish
newenterprises; Inadequate resource recovery and a general lack of
commitment to recycling no legislation,policy or waste management
culture that promotes resource recovery or makes it
financiallyviable; and Lack of appropriate waste management
strategies and treatment technologies associated withthese policies
also have a negative effect on human health. In addition to lack of
a variety ofappropriate waste treatment methods.Some of the
consequences of previous waste management policies include;
continued air andland pollution, the pollution of fresh and marine
waters, resulting in the disruption of ecosystemprocesses, habitat
destruction and species loss. The amount of waste produced also
placesincreasing pressure on the countrys landfills. Increasing
amounts of land set aside for landfillscould lead to habitat
destruction and species loss.2.6 Some of interventions globally.A
mere 13% of American waste is recycled (Anonymous, 1992). Recycling
is a resourcerecovery program, which extends the globes mineral
supply by reducing the amount of virginmaterials that need to be
removed from the globe to meet the demand. Resource recovery
savesenergy, causes minimal pollution and land disruption, cuts
waste disposal costs, and extends thelife of landfills by
preventing waste from residing there.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
25. The percentage of paper that is being recycled in other
nations sends a clear message toAmericans: we are not doing enough.
Americans only recycle 28% of the paper they use,although they lead
the world in paper consumption and paper waste. France,
Sweden,Switzerland and Finland recycle at least one-third of their
paper expenditures. Japan, Mexico,and the Netherlands are at a 44%
rate, which is the highest in the world. The American
federalgovernment alone uses two percent of all paper products in
this country, but half of the trash itthrows away is paper (Miller,
1990).Greatly increased recycling in this country could be reached
through several measures. Someanalysts claim that 50% to 80% of the
nations natural resources could be recycled or reused bythe year
2012. Some measures to achieve this include enacting a national
bottle bill into law,banning disposable plastic items, requiring
labels on products made with recyclable materialsand the
percentages used, using education and advertisements to discourage
the "throwaway"mentality, requiring households to separate wastes
for recycling (or offering financial incentivesfor doing so), and
decreasing subsidies for virgin-material industries, and providing
subsidies forsecondary-material industries and waste reduction
programs.Anything that is naturally degradable can be thrown into a
compost bin. Food and organic wastecreated by food processing
plants, kitchens, galleys, animal feedlots, yard work, and
sewagetreatment plants. Paper, leaves, and grass clippings can be
decomposed in this process inbackyard compost bins, and the end
result can be used in gardens and flower beds.Hazardous waste
includes heavy metal contaminants (like lead and mercury), medical
andinfectious waste, chemical waste, and nuclear waste. The latter
is so dangerous due to theextremely high toxicity, which remains
that way for thousands of years. The technology for9/5/2011
shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
26. safely and effectively treating and disposing hazardous
waste has not even come close to thetechnology for producing the
stuff.2.7 Ugandas perspective on waste managementIn Uganda, the
public has not taken any positive steps in solid waste management
practices likesource reduction, re-using, recycling or properly
disposing of the portion that cannot bereclaimed. Instead the
public has for the most part maintained an I dont care attitude
ofgenerating as much waste as possible unconscious of the
implications for its collection anddisposal (ERL 1990, KCC 1995 and
NEMA 1996).In Uganda, the solid waste generated comprises of 73%
0rganic waste; 5.3% paper; 1.7% sawdust; 1.6% plastics; 3.1%
metals; 0.9% glass; 8% tree cuttings and 5.5% street debris
(Ngategizeet al., 2001). Kampala city gives a good illustration of
this problem.Since 1969, there has been a big increase in the
volume of solid waste generated due to the risein population. In
1969, 198 metric tonnes were generated everyday and currently 800
tonnes(800,000kgs) is being generated everyday according to the
Kampala City Council (KCC report:2008).In addition to the above,
waste generation is directly proportional to population increase.
Eventhough high/medium income earners are fewer than low income
earners, and their per capita,waste generated by low income earners
is more than double the quantities generated by highincome earners.
However, the daily and annual waste generation for low income
earners is morethan double that for high income earners. This could
be attributed to accumulation among lowincome earners settlements
due to inadequacies in waste collection services among
others.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
27. The greatest challenges facing Ugandas rapidly growing
urban centres, is the hazard of urbanwaste, according to the Globe
Clean Services, business manager, Rashid Magezi (cited in TheNew
Vision 3rd April 2010). He adds that, The volume of solid waste
generated in urbancentres in Uganda has been increasing mainly as a
result of the growing urban population,concentration of industries,
consumption habits of residents, inadequate finance and facilities
tomanage waste collection and disposal Many Ugandans perceive waste
collection as a luxurybut not a necessity. The concept of
collecting garbage is still new to most people, since you haveto
tell them a number of times before they can ingest the idea.Magezi
insists that garbage disposal in the urban areas is a real
challenge compared to ruralUganda where waste is mostly dumped in
open places, gardens and open pits. In addition wastein the rural
areas is mostly organic.2.8 What are the causes of poor Waste
management in Uganda?It is obvious to note that high-income
households generate MORE wastes than low incomehouseholds but
accumulation is higher in low income areas compared to high income
settlementsdue to availability of waste collection services. (ERL,
1990, KCC 1995, and NEMA, 1996).Therefore, there are a number of
causes of poor Waste management in Uganda and these includebut not
limited to;Lack of dumping sites where to deposit the solid waste.
This is because the issue of wastemanagement is new in the country.
It wasnt considered to be a problem before. Currently, inKampala,
the dumping is done by the K.C.C. at Mpererwe, a landfill made in
1996 after theformer one at Lweza and Lubigi (ERL, 2008).9/5/2011
shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
28. Ignorance of the masses about the need to dispose of these
wastes well and how to dispose ofthem (the wastes) off. There is
lack of enough literacy programs on Waste management whichleaves
most of the people backward on waste management. This is because of
poor or nosensitization of the masses by the government and other
organizations of Uganda.Inefficient collection methods which is
mainly due to lack of funds to provide the necessarymachinery. In
Uganda, machinery like the trucks that carry the waste from the
various areas havepoor covering systems such that even the waste
goes on leaking on the road while beingtransported, and even there
are few places with proper garbage containers or at times
thecontainers are over flooded when there are rain showers.Poor
government attitude towards waste management. From a citizens point
of view, it isrealized that very little money from the government
is directed towards waste management, withmost of it going towards
industrialization. This leads to poor purchase of collecting
equipment.Another cause is poverty that exists in Uganda. This
undoubtedly leads to masses buying cheapnon bio-degradable
containers which are not easy to dispose off, and also substitutes
like paperbags are not easily available to poor urban dwellers.Also
the low price of these solid wastes especially polythene bags which
are very cheap ascompared to other containers makes them very
common, which makes their proper disposal verydifficult.Lack of
trained manpower/personnel to deal with garbage collecting
machinery and to ensure theproper disposal of the solid waste for
example door to door collectors in most advancedcountries.9/5/2011
shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
29. Lack of recycling facilitates in most parts of the country
for instance most of the polythene bagsused are not recycled by the
manufacturing industries and Misallocation of funds and
evenembezzlement of the little funds allocated for such work.2. 9.
Some of the human and environmental problems that can attribute
topoor waste management.It should be noted that inadequate waste
collection by the relevant authorities and theinappropriate methods
used by other generators leave a lot of solid waste unattended to.
This is asource of pollution and provides breeding ground for rats,
fleas, mosquitoes among other. Theconsequences of poor waste
management are very complex (KCC; 2000). However, the majorimpacts
include but not limited to:Infrastructure destruction; Solid waste
haphazardlydumped in manholes for drainage, telephone
cables,sewerage system, roadside drainage gutters creates
blockagesand leads to floods across roads, streets, parks and
otherspaces. The repair of underground telephone and electric
cables is hampered as solid wastesblock manholes that would
facilitate easy access. This makes repair works expensive and
manactivities are disrupted because of constant service failures.
The blockage of drainage channelsby mud, polythene and other solid
wastes create pools of water, which render transport duringthe
rainy seasons messy and eventually potholes develop on the roads.
(NEMA 2000/2001).Contamination of water bodies: Most of the solid
waste generated in Kampala is dumped inthe wetlands and these are
the major sources of domestic water to Kampalas population.
Though50% of Kampalas populations have running water on the
premises (Kampala 1995) and more9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
30. recent 2002 data indicates over 90% accessing safe water.
Even then some pipes pass via solidwaste and sewerage sites and
water is bound to get contaminated since most of the pipes are
veryold. The concern for contamination is due to current
accessibility to safe water with 36% of thepopulation drawing their
water from protected spring, 11% from unprotected springs and
3%from open courses with their waters from the wetlands and
underground acquifers. (KCC; 2000).These sources are contaminated
through percolating leachates from decomposing garbage,discarded
oils from garages and some pit latrines in the low lying areas
directly touch the watertable. Direct dumping is also evident on
the shores of L. Victoria and its catchment region andyet 3% of the
population draws their water directly from open sources (LAVLAC
2005).Generally Nakivubo swamp, which opens in L. Victoria, has a
high nutrient load as a result ofrainfall run off from Kampala City
(Kansime and Nalubega 1998).Sanitation and Health: Open dumping is
the order of the day in Kampala City and this hascreated unsanitary
conditions on streets and pathways. Such irresponsible dumping
leads tounpleasant smells and are fertile grounds for breeding
sites for flies and other vectors. Thescenery of flies, rodents and
vectors scrambling for the rotting solid waste is unsightly
andunhygienic. All this results in the pollution of both surface
and ground water through leachateand impairing the permeability of
soils as well as blockage of drainage system (NEMA2000/2001). The
public is threatened by communicable diseases such as diarrhoea,
cholera,dysentery etc. Cases of cholera outbreak in Kampala are
common, the most recent being early2005. In a recent study of
pollution load finding indicate high concentration of nitrates
nearunofficial dumping grounds in the catchment of Natete River,
(Lwasa, Majjaliwa et al. 2006).9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
31. This exacerbates environmental health problems in the urban
poor settlements of Kampala metroarea.Increased Presence of Garbage
plastic mineral water bottles and Polythene Bags: Most low-income
settlements are littered with solid wastes and polythenebags. The
communities have been unable or unwilling to payfor garbage
collection and sanitation facilities. Some peopleregard garbage
collection as the responsibility of KCC usingmoney from taxes. The
study has established that there is lackof space to place garbage
skips while landowners do not allowplacement of garbage skips on
their land. Coupled with lack of skips and inability of the
privategarbage collectors to cope with the generation rate, solid
waste dumping sites are a commonfeature in Kampala especially in
wetland and high-density residential areas. Most conspicuous ofthe
waste stream is the plastic wastes in different categories from
plastic bottles to polythenebags which are carried downstream in
the catchments by storm water and wind. These havebecome a nuisance
in the city and metro area.It should be noted that the Government
attempted to ban the polythene bags production one yearago however,
the government in its own way has failed to control the problem of
poor polythenewaste disposal through its failure to enhance strict
rules that can help reduce the problem. Theofficials of the various
government organs have failed to provide sufficient supervision of
thedamping of the wastes as a result, polythene waste are
continually poorly damped and this ishazardous to the community and
the people living around it.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
32. 2.10 Policy context/frameworks for waste management in
Uganda,International and regional levels.There are various laws
that regulate the generation and management of solid wastes in
Uganda,and internationally though some are out dated. They
include;Agenda 21 - program of action for sustainable
developmentAgenda 21 is a comprehensive blue print for global
actions for sustainable development into the21st century. Uganda
being a member of the United Nations is party and accountable to
Agenda21. It commits governments, United Nations organizations,
development agencies,nongovernmental organizations and independent
sector groups to implement programs andactions which would halt and
reverse the negative impact of human behavior on the
physicalenvironment and promote and promote environmentally
sustainable economic development in allcountries. In the context of
waste management, Agenda 21 presents Section 21 onenvironmentally
sound management of solid waste, particularly highlighting program
areas andassociated strategies to be implemented by all countries
to ensure proper waste management(Agenda 21, 1994). How this frame
work has been implemented is a question of debate.United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)Biodegradable solid
waste decomposition generates green house gases (GHS) such as
Methanewhich contributes to depletion of the thin layer (Ozone)
that protects the earth from direct heatfrom the sun. Loss of this
layer means that sun rays hit directly on the earth resulting
intemperature raises which influence climate on the earth and these
changes have manifest asglobal warming, prolonged droughts, and
unreliable rainfall. However, Uganda is signatory tothe United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) of the
Kyoto9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
33. Protocol. The UNFCCC provides an international framework
for mitigating causes of climatechange and its effects at both
international and national level. For instance, the
CleanDevelopment Mechanism (CDM) makes it possible for companies or
countries that have toreduce emissions under the Kyoto Protocol to
invest in emission reduction projects in developingcountries. There
is a need for exploring opportunities in the Clean Development
Mechanism toutilize the accumulated solid waste managed under the
land fill at Kiteezi for energy productionLinking waste management
to the Millennium Development goals (MDGs)Uganda subscribes to the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United NationsCharter.
The targets under these eight goals respond to the worlds main
development challengesand are anticipated to be achieved by 2015.
The MDGs are drawn from the actions and targetscontained in the
Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 189 nations-and signed
by 147heads of state and governments during the UN Millennium
Summit in September 2000.Addressing the challenges of waste
management and flood mitigation should be linked to theMDGs because
they directly and indirectly contribute to achievement of the
targets under MDGs1, 3, 6 and 7.5The constitution of the Republic
of Uganda 1995 Article 245 (a) provides measures intended-To
protect and preserve the environment from abuse, pollution and
degradation. The NationalEnvironment (Waste Management)
Regulations, S.I. No 52/1999; Provides that all wastes shallbe
properly managed among other regulatory frame works like The Local
Government Act 1997.The Town and country planning act 1964 provides
a policy legal frame work against whichphysical planning is done on
urban settlements. It provides for the creation of Town and
country9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
34. planning board, a body responsible for hand use planning
approval and gazzetting structuralplans. However this law is out
dated and in effective to enforce compliance and discipline andthis
has greatly contributed to irresponsible littering of garbage.By
the year 2025, it is estimated that Ugandas population will be
about 54 million, with over30% living in urban areas. It is
therefore important that policies are designed to address
potentialadverse effects. Since population increase is said to be
one of the causes of rampant poor wastemanagement.2.11
Opportunities from wastes.It should be noted that though the word
"waste" refers to something that is "no longer serving apurpose",
something "without value" (as the Concise Oxford Dictionary puts
it), Obviously,however, certain people in certain circumstances
consider waste materials as a resource for theirfamily, their
livelihood, or their enterprise. The so- called waste materials may
serve as a crucialresource within households. For example, oily
milk packages may be used as fuel; leftover foodmay be fed to pigs
and goats; discarded cardboard may serve as walls and roofs of
houses. Ifthat is the case, one can expect that household members
re-value waste materials and see theirusefulness for different
purposes, such as domestic utility, saving on household
expenditures,earning money, or other purposes (ERL, 2008).
Therefore, this study was seeking to find outwhether the people in
Kyazanga have some of these practices that serve to promote a clean
andsafe environment.2.12 Gaps identifiedAlthough several
researchers have carried out a number of studies on the causes of
poor wastemanagement and have provided a number of solutions to
waste management in different parts of9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
35. this Uganda and the world at large, it should noted with
concern that most if not all these studieshave been carried out in
big towns like Kampala, Masaka, jinja, Mbale Mbarara among
othersand not in the small emerging towns like Kyazanga. Therefore,
the Researcher carried this studyto validate whether such causes of
poor waste management and their solutions are applicable toKyazanga
Town council and establish Proposals for Change and Improvement in
wastemanagement. (See the findings in Chpt 4).2.13
Recommendation.The inadequacies and inconsistencies in the
Environmental policies in the context of wastemanagement at both
national and local levels call for a comprehensive national policy
to guideand streamline waste management in Uganda. These processes
should be initiated by the allstakeholder in waste management
sector.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
36. CHAPTER THREE:3.0 Methodology3.1 IntroductionThis chapter
presents the methods and tools that were used to conduct this
research. It specifiesthe research strategy, sampling procedures,
research instruments and data analysis techniquesthat were used to
explore the underlying causes of poor waste management and seek the
localpeoples opinions on how the problem would be handled.This
chapter describes the methods and the procedures that were used to
conduct the research. Italso describes the research design
(Triangulation method) that is qualitative and quantitativedesigns
this is because there was a need to obtain a variety of information
on the same issue, touse the strength of each method to overcome
the deficiencies that could come from using onedesign and to
achieve a higher degree of validity and reliability. Data was
collected from twomain sources, primary and secondary. Primary
sources of data comprised mainly interviews, anduse of
questionnaires. Secondary data was collected from the already
existing documents aboutwaste management at the Town Council.3.2
Research designThe research strategy that the study utilized was
the descriptive method. A descriptive researchintended to present
facts concerning the nature and the status of the situation, as it
exists at a timeof the study and to describe the present
conditions, events or systems based on impressions orreactions of
the respondents of the research. This study was also concerned with
the relationships9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
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37. and practices that exist, beliefs and processes that are
ongoing, effects that are being felt ortrends that are developing
about poor waste management. The researcher used cross-sectionstudy
and triangulation methods (i.e. qualitative and quantitative
designs). In this study, bothmethods were be utilized for instance
the qualitative opinions that were obtained were confirmedby
statistical data. Finally, the study used in-depth interviews,
observations (qualitative) as wellas survey and statistical records
like graphs, pie-charts and tables (Quantitative).3.3 Area and
population of Study.The study was conducted in Kyazanga Town
council, Lwengo district one of the newly createddistrict formerly
part of Masaka district. It is one of town councils that form
Lwengo district. It islocated in the approximately 96 miles (154km)
and 46 km from Masaka along Masaka Mbarara Road and 10 km from
Lwengo district headquarters. The Town council has a
totalpopulation of about 15832 of whom 4625 are female, 4432 are
male and 6775 are childrenbetween 0-18 years. The 2002 Uganda
national census estimated the population of LwengoDistrict at about
242,300. The exact population of the district as of December 2010
is not known.The Population in Kyazanga is mixed with different
tribes ranging from Banyankole-Bakiga,Bafumbira, Banyarwanda and
Baganda. The main activity of the people in Kyazanga T.C
isbusiness- (small scale business); while other people are peasants
who go to the nearby village forfarming since this is the main
source of food and livelihood survival. The Town Council housesthe
only Health centre IV in the district and most of the educational
institutions.The nature and the characteristics of the Population
in Kyazanga (mixed) and the nature of theactivities (small scale
business) can be attributed to poor waste management in the area,
where alot of waste is generated through their retail
businesses.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
38. 3.4 Sample size estimation.The sample size comprised of 76
respondents (local people- considering a number of issues
likeresidential, business-small or high etc) from different Wards
of Kyazanga T.C, 10 educationinstitutions, 4 health centres/clinics
and 10 the Local leaders a total of 100 respondents wasselected
from the four zones of Bukyanagandi, Kanakulya Byuma, central and
Maida.3.5 Sampling procedure and sampling techniques.The researcher
used a non probability sampling procedure where purposive and quota
samplingtechniques were employed. This was because, in
purposive/judgmental sampling, the researcherpurposively chose
respondents who, in his opinion, were thought to be relevant to the
researchtopic. In this case the researcher was convinced that his
judgment was more important thanobtaining a probability sample
because the problem of waste management is not a newphenomena
therefore, to obtain relevant data, one must choose relevant
respondents. Whereas inquota sampling instead of dividing the
population into strata and randomly choosing ofrespondents, the
researcher chose to set a quota of respondents to be chosen in
specificpopulation groups, by defining the basis of choice (
gender, education, status, wealth etc) andthis still was used in
determining size.3.6. Data collection techniques.The researcher
used both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection
becausequalitative methods involve the use of words rather than
numbers; the methods involveddescriptions of the study and this
helped the researchers to go beyond conceptions and generateand
revise frameworks. This approach helped the researcher to generate
quality information that9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
39. gave meaning to numbers. While quantitative methods
involved the collection of numerical datain order to explain,
predict and control phenomena of interest and the data that was
collected ispresented as a table in numbers. The numerical data
obtained is used to explain the social life ofthe people of
Kyazanga in relation to waste management. These methods
included,administering questionnaire, interviewing and
observation.3.7. 0 Tools to be used in research3.7.1
QuestionnairesThe questionnaire comprised of sections like; the
demography where the respondents sex,marital status, income level,
type of apartment-rental or owned among others were asked. Theyalso
consisted of questions both open and closed in which if answered
well, would haveexhausted the research objectives and question. In
this method of data collection, the respondentsgot and filled in a
formerly well structured questionnaire. These questionnaires were
home/officedelivered. The questionnaires were personally delivered
to and later picked from the premises ofthe respondent. The
respondents were given time to fill in the questionnaires. The
researcherbelieves that this method gave the respondents enough
time to reflect, concentrate and in someinstances to consult.
However, to the semi- literate respondents, the questions were read
by theresearcher and then translated into local languages for clear
understanding and proper responses.3.7.2 The interview guideThe
researcher conducted personal interviews especially to key
informants like the Town Clerk,chair person LC III and the Health
Inspector. The Researcher also introduced himself to therespondents
by presenting an introductory letter from the university. The
Interviewer thenprecisely explained the purpose of the carrying out
the study on the causes of poor waste9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
40. management in Kyazanga T.C. The researcher went ahead to
explain how the potentialrespondents were selected and that the
responses were to be confidential and anonymous, whichcould not be
used against the respondent. It was made clear to the respondents
that the interviewswere not testing knowledge but rather helping
the researcher to learn from them. Whileinterviewing, the
researcher was guided by a well structured set of questions which
worked as ainterview guide.3.7.3 Observation and a camera.This is a
purposive or intentional examination of something, particularly for
purposes of datagathering. (Chaplain 1968). The researcher used
observation method where the occurrences ofpoor waste management
events were highly recorded. The researcher used tools like a
camera totake pictures of wastes littered anyhow in the Town
council.3.7.4 Secondary data.This is the use of the already
collected data that was not specifically gathered for the
researchquestion at hand. This data could be government or
non-governmental or private statistics. Theresearcher had
anticipated to get information relevant to the study by reviewing
documents aboutwaste management; these documents included, the
publications, annual reports of the ministry ofhealth, periodicals,
journals, magazines and other literature written by different
knowledgeablescholar. The researcher hoped that such information
would help as the starting point foradditional research.
Unfortunately, the T.C has got only a work plan pamphlet which
wascompiled in 2009. This is the only working, and guiding document
the TC owns which has half apage information on waste management.
This partly explains why this study was conducted inorder to
provide information for the leaders and the entire
community.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
41. 3.8 Procedure for Data Collection.Both open-ended and
closed-ended questionnaires were also used for data collection.
Mostlyclosed-ended questionnaires were used to collect easily
analyzable data. Interview guides weredesigned and reviewed by the
researcher. A set of question were prepared for reference by
theresearcher and were approved by the research supervisor. The
researcher pre-tested thequestionnaire before he finally put to
use.After the approval of the research proposal, the researcher
identified two Research Assistants(R.As) with a bias in social
research who were oriented on this research and trained
ininterviewing; data collection and data coding skills and then pre
tested the questionnaires.At this point it was important to prepare
a plan for data processing and data analysis based onwhich aspects
of data collected was to generate qualitative and quantitative
analyzable data.After scheduling the meeting with respondents, the
research team started with in-depth personalinterviews each lasted
for 10-15 minutes. During all these sessions, the researcher was
themoderator while one of the R.As was taking down notes and the
whole team carefully listenedand observed the conversations.3.9.0
Data Quality Control.Data safeguarding and ensuring the accuracy
and completeness of the same quality controlcomprises of validity
of the instrument that used in the study. This was maintained
through testsof validity and reliability.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
42. 3.9.1 Validity.Validity in this case refers to the
appropriateness, meangfulness and usefulness of
theinferences/deductions a researcher makes (fraenkel & Wallen
1996:153). In order to establishvalidity of the instruments, the
draft questionnaire was given to the supervisor and
academiccolleagues and experts. They were requested to comment on
the question wording and the depthof the questionnaire and its
ability to address the research objectives (relevancy). The
commentsthat were obtained helped to improve on the research
instrument.3.9.2 Reliability.Reliability refers to the consistency
of the responses obtained from one administration of aninstrument
to another and from one set of items to another (Fraenkel &
Wallen 1996:160). Toensure consistence of the research instrument,
the researcher used simple language and clearinstructions which
were quite appropriate to the respondents. Instructions were made
as simpleand clear as possible. Questions were phrased clearly to
ensure consistence in responses of theparticipants. The respondents
who participated in the study were expected to be knowledgeableto
provide reliable information. The selected sample was adequate and
representative. After allthat, the instrument were pre-tested in a
pilot study and the researcher pre-tested a minimum of10
questionnaires. The researcher did that in instances where he was
not sure about the adequacyof the optional response categories that
had been devised for one question, for instance questionsthat had
options like Others, please specify, the researchers concern was be
that the responseset to that question might not be effective; as a
result the option Others, please specify mightattract a
disproportionally large number of responses, a problem the
researcher wished to avoid.The results of the pre-testing brought
on board very important modifications in the questionnaire.9/5/2011
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43. These tests were carried out to ensure consistency and to
find out how easy the final study wouldbe done.3.10 Research
Formalities.The research procedure began by getting introduction
letter from the University which waspresented by the researcher to
the authorities in Kyazanga to be allowed to access secondarydata,
reports and carry out research in the areas. And in return, the
Town Clerk replied by writingan acceptance letter to the
Researcher.(see Appendix)3.11 Data Analysis and interpretation.It
should be noted that, data obtained from the field in raw form is
difficult to interpret. Theinitial data collected was subjected to
quality checks, to ensure that the recordings were correctlydone
with minimal errors. This entailed editing, repeating interviews
where necessary, coding,summarizing, categorizing and grouping
similar information, analyzing according to the themeof the study.
The researcher deemed it important to note quotations and
observations madeduring the interviews and their sources or the
name of the interviewee. All the questionnaireswere analyzed
whether completed or not.Data analysis and processing was on-going
and statistical analysis was done manually and wherepossible the
researcher used Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets, and frequencies of
the emergingissues were then established in a tabular or graphic
form like pie-chats, bar graph and frequenciesand percentages were
generated. (See Chpt 4).Care was taken to avoid discarding any
data, as this could be reverted to in later analysis.Relevant
quotations were ear-marked. Analysis was done manually as earlier
mentioned by9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
44. identifying areas of emphasis according to themes and the
responses summarized in a narrativeform as a presentation of the
major findings of the study.At the end of it all, it was from the
results of analysis that the researcher was able to make senseof
the data in order to give concrete interpretation and discussion of
the data obtained in relationto phenomenon of poor waste
management.3.12 Limitations of the study and possible way
forward.The study was comprehensive and the researcher used
considerable finances to execute the studysuccessfully. However,
despite the envisaged limitations of logistical and financial
difficulties,the researcher endeavored to get the required
resources to complete the study within the requiredtime frame.The
researcher found some respondents who were not willing to cooperate
in giving outinformation concerning poor waste management claiming
I was T.C staffs who was disguising tobe a researcher instead
looking for information to pin them for poor waste
management.However, the researcher tried to build a rapport first
which helped in building a strong bond withthe respondents which
later enabled him to get the required information.Time factor; this
was one of the greatest challenge the researcher faced during the
research.There was limited time for the researcher to go the field,
make introductions, carry out research,collect data, interpret the
findings and then write a scholar report.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
45. 3.13 Dissemination of the results.Once this copy of the
research is approved, the researcher will distribute the findings
to the areas/ offices that were helpful during data collection
exercise. For instance, Town council offices andthe council Health
inspect, to enable them update their information and to discover
the gaps inthe policy about waste management. The university will
retain a copy of approved dissertationfor academic reference and
the researcher will retain a copy.3.14 Ethical consideration The
researcher sought permission from the local council leaders in
order to allow him collect data He deemed it necessary not include
the names of the respondents on the questionnaires. The researcher
explained the purpose of research to the respondents3.15
Conclusion.All in all, the chapter shows the methodological
framework that guided the researcher in thecollection and analysis
of data acquired from the different study respondents.It shows
thevarious data collection techniques that were employed to enable
the researcher to get all therequired information that was needed
for this research. It brouht out the particular category ofpeople
that were involved in this research and why they were picked
upon.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
46. CHAPTER FOUR4.0 DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS4.1
Introduction In this chapter, the researcher presents the findings
of the study conducted on wastemanagement within urban areas in
Uganda; a case study of Kyazanga town council, Lwengodistrict. The
findings are presented using tables, bar graphs and pie charts,
which are lateranalyzed by percentages under some of the variables.
Most of the findings are descriptive innature.4.2. Back ground
Characteristics of Respondents4.2.1. Sex of the respondents.The
researcher considered the sex of the respondent because he wanted
to study the variations inthe views and perceptions and the role
played by both men and women regarding wastemanagement.Table 1: Sex
of the RespondentsSex Frequency PercentageFemale 51 51%Male 49
49%Total 100 100%9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
47. Figure 1: Distribution of respondents by sex. Respondents
by sex 52%%ges 51% 50% Percentage 49% 48% Female Male sexThe
findings presented in table 1 above show that, out of the total
sample size of 100 respondentscontacted during the study, 51% were
females and 49% males. Findings specifically revealedthat the women
were more engaged in waste management issues than the men. This was
becausemost households that were interviewed, husbands would ask
their wives to respond to theresearcher than themselves claiming
the wives were more engaged than themselves and that thewomen had
more of the domestic responsibilities to handle compared to men.
And therefore,women were found to be more engaged in waste
management than men and possibly thisexplains the burdens women
carry on top of the domestic role they play. It was found out
thatsince waste management was a new phenomenon, women (who in this
case are the mostresponsible) tend to give waste management the
last priority hence poor waste management inthe Town Council.4.2.
2: Distribution of individual respondents by the zone.With the
guide of the local leaders we were to identify four zones which
include; Bukyanagandi,Kanakulya Byuma, Maida and central zones from
the total number of Twelve (12) zones.Bukyanagandi, Kanakulya Byuma
and Mayida zones were selected because they have more9/5/2011
shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
48. residential people and a lot of illegal wastedumping in
more observed than any other zonewhile Central zone is known for
being the hub ofbusiness in the Town council.Health centres and
schools visited are spreadthroughout different zones that were
selected. Itshould be noted that Kyazanga being one of thegrowing
Town Councils, a lot is needed especially planning for
infrastructure developments ob.It was observed by the researcher
that there is no single zone that is said to be residential
orbusiness oriented. All zones have people doing small scale
business (Retail shops) andResidential. However, zones like Central
accommodates more people in business than any otherzone. It was
therefore; found out that these zones due to their large numbers
alongside poorbuilding plans explain why a lot of waste is choking
the Town Council.Table 2: The distribution of respondents by zones.
Zone Frequency Percentages Central 32 32% Bukyanagandi 30 30%
Kanakulya 24 24% Byuma Maida 14 14% Total 100 100%9/5/2011 shadrack
Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
49. Figure 2: The pie-chart showing the distribution of the
respondents by zone.From above, central zone had the highest number
of respondents with 32% because it has thehighest number of
residents in business sector and an area that generates a lot of
garbage that isindiscriminately littered anywhere. The study also
selected Bukyanagandi, Kanakulya Byunmaand Maida Zones with 30%,
24% and 14% respectively. These zones were selected because
theyhave the highest dilapidated structures and this go hand in
hand with waste management. Suchzones can afford of wastes as a
challenge to their health. On top of the above, these zones havethe
highest open dumping spaces. Approximately, of the apartments
selected were eitherdumping wastes behind the shelter or in any
open place. The current situation in conjunctionwith the attitude
of the people if not handled carefully and strongly, these zones
could be asource of diseases that can be spread to other
zones.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
50. 4.2.3: The income level category.The researcher had
interest in the income level category of the people of Kyazanga in
order todraw relationship between wealth/income and waste
management. There were three categories ofincome that the
researcher observed i.e. low income, middle income and high
income.Table 3. The distribution of the respondents as per the
income category. Income level Frequency Low 50 Middle 30 High 20
Total 100Figure 3: Income levels of Respondents. Income levels of
respondents 50 40 Low No. of 30 Middle Respondents 20 High 10 0
FrequencyFrom the graph above, half of the total number of
respondents was under low income categoryrepresenting 50%. Majority
of these respondents said that because of using cheap non
bio-degradable containers which are not easy to dispose off, like
Buveera. The alternatives thatshould have been used like paper bags
are not easily available to poor urban dwellers. Evenwhen some of
the alternatives are available, the prices of these solid wastes
especially polythenebags are low compared to other containers which
makes their proper disposal very difficult. To9/5/2011 shadrack
Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
51. the middle and high income apartments, a lot is also
generated by relatively managed andcollected by the Volunteer Youth
Group. It is important to observe at this point that the roleplayed
by the service providers should be cross cutting NOT segregate as
it is. It was reportedthat poor households were NOT receiving any
service from the Team at all.4.2.4 Category of the premise of
collection.This study considered two major categories of
apartments/premises. These included basicallyresidential and
business sector. The researcher found out that at a household level
all sorts ofwastes are generated and so is the case for the
business sector. The business sector includespeople engaged in
retail and wholesale shops, stalls of green vegetables, and
restaurants. Theresearcher included this section of premise of
collection for a number of reasons; one was toestablish the source
of the wastes that are choking the T.C, are the major generators,
if there anymeans used to collect, transport and dispose off.a).
The residential premises.The table below shows the number of
respondents under Residential premises in relation to theirincome
level.Table 4 (a). Premise of collection Residential premise
Frequency Percentage ( %) a) Low Income 25 50% b) Middle 15 30%
income c) High Income 10 20% Total 50 100%9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
52. Figure 4 (a):Distributions of respondents at the
residential level in relation toincome levels. Residental
Respondents 60% 50% Respondents Percentage of 40% 30% Percentage (
%) 20% 10% 0% Low Income Middle High Income income Income levelThe
findings in table 4 above indicate that a total number of 50
respondents were interviewed.Low income household since they are
the majority had 50% representation, 30% for middleincome and 20%
for high income.b). The business sector.Table 4 (b). distribution
of respondents in the business sector as pertheir income
level.BusinessLow Income 25 50%Middle income 15 30%High Income 10
20%Total 50 100%9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
53. Figure 4 (b). Respondents from the Business sector.
Respondents from the Business sector 30 60% Respondents in 25 50%
Respondents Percentage 20 40% No. of 15 30% 10 20% 5 10% 0 0% Low
Income Middle income High Income Income level No. of Respondents
PercentageThe findings in table 4 (b) above, it is indicated that
still a total number of 50 respondents wereinterviewed in the
business sector. The researcher drew respondents from different
income levelsin order to study the variations in the opinions about
waste management in the TC. Low incomebusiness dealers formed 50%
representation, 30% for middle income and 20% for high incomeas it
was the case in the residential respondents. It can be observed
that in both categories ofrespondents i.e. residential and
business, the low income people are the majority. The questionthen
is; does the level of income determine the waste management in TC?
This question is to beanswered in the following analysis.4.2. 5:
Position of the respondents in the apartment.The research chose
this demographic characteristic of respondents in order establish
who plays abigger role in waste management at both house hold level
or at a business establishment.9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba
+256(0)782/714/701-843010
54. Table 5: distribution of respondents by positions.
Residential level No. of respondents Percentage (%)Spouse of the
Head of 41 40establishment/House wivesOwners /Heads 51 52Employees/
Care takers 8 8Total 100 100Figure 5: Distribution of respondents
by positions held in the establishment.The position of each
respondent was taken to be a very important demographic variable
for thestudy because these position influences ones ability to
engage in an activity that isenvironmental friendly or not. As seen
in the table above, 41% of people were Spouses of theHead of
establishment/House wives, 51% of the respondents were heads/owners
of theapartments compared to 8% of the employees/care takers.4.2.6:
Education levelsThe researcher considered education as a very
important demographic characteristic duringwhich people not only
get to know about themselves but also what happens around them. It
was9/5/2011 shadrack Natamba +256(0)782/714/701-843010
55. believed by the researcher that people who have had an
opportunity to know the dangers of poorwaste management are better
placed to manage wastes either by having a collection container
orhaving an alternative way of managing wastes properly.
Respondents were classified into foureducation levels of education
including No formal education, primary, secondary, and
tertiary(University). Table 6. Education levels of the
RespondentsEducation Level Frequency Percentage (%)Non formal 53
53Primary 21 21Secondary