By Flavia Ajok
Vendors operating in Masindi Central Market and Kijura Market have raised concerns over poor garbage disposal, saying the situation is affecting their businesses and sanitation.
The complaints were sounded Monday shortly after the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), together with other security agencies including Police and Prisons, conducted a general clean-up of Masindi town, Central Market, Kijura streets and Kijura Market ahead of the Tarehe Sita commemorations scheduled for February 6, 2026, in the Kigezi region.
Naume Katusabe, a vendor at Masindi Central Market, says garbage collection in the market is irregular, noting that the garbage truck can take up to a month without transporting waste to the dumping facility.
Another vendor, Zubeda Kyosaba, says the market lacks cleaners and that drainage channels are blocked by garbage, yet vendors continue to pay taxes to the municipality.
However, Japhan Mandela, a vendor at Kijura Market, blames fellow vendors for poor waste management, saying many refuse to take their garbage to the designated collection trucks, which undermines proper garbage disposal.
Gen. Onesimus Kakuru, the Political Commissioner at the UPDF Artillery Division, says the clean-up exercise in Masindi town, Central Market, Kijura Market and Masindi Hospital was part of the UPDF’s efforts to give back to the community.
Masindi Resident District Commissioner, Darius Nandinda, commended the UPDF and sister security forces for promoting cleanliness but urged municipal authorities to take responsibility for sustained garbage management.
The 45th Tarehe Sita national commemoration will be held in the Kisoro region on February 6 under the theme: “Defending the gains of the revolution and honoring the sacrifices of the freedom fighters: A call for national unity, peace and socio-economic transformation.”
