KCCA FRONTLINE WORKERS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE

On October 12, all roads in Kampala City will lead to Kololo Ceremonial grounds where KCCA will be celebrating its employees who work hard to keep the city clean and safe. It will be a day of feasting and dancing in a typical KCCA festive mood.

The event will be graced by Kampala's top leaders from both the political and technical side including Ministers, Mayors and the RCCs.

"It is an opportunity for us to recognize the frontline workers for the good job they do to keep the city clean" says Isaac Mugumbule from the organizing committee.

Here we bring you some of the frontline workers and their experiences on keeping the city smart and orderly.

Godfrey Bisaso, Lipande Zone in Makindye division

This is my second year working as a drainage cleaner and i feel so blessed to be part of this team that is involved in cleaning the city.

It is a tasking job but we always do it with pride because this is our city. We need to keep it smart and clean so that we achieve the smart city dream.

Personally, I have lived all my life in the ghetto where it has been hard to get employment. Youth in the ghetto end up involved in crime because of the pressing needs and lack of social economic support from the government.

But at the moment, I feel cared for by my government and I’m able to earn a monthly salary which helps me support my family needs.

With this salary, I’m able to save money in one of the saccos, and in the next year I hope to start doing other investments to improve on my income.

I want to thank the KCCA ED Dorothy Kisaka, the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, President Museveni and Gen Salim Saleh who have given us the opportunity as Ghetto people to work with city hall.

My call to the people of Kampala is to ask them to dump garbage in designated areas and stop littering the city.

Jovan Ssempija Kilagga 23, Katwe-Kinyoro Makindye division

I’m happy to be one of the few people in Kampala who are committed to keeping the city clean. Every day I wake up proud knowing I’m going to make my city clean. There are many drainages that are clogged in the city because of poor garbage disposal but ever since we started this work of desilting, majority have been unclogged.

As youth from the ghetto my eyes have been opened, I know I can earn a living from engaging in productive work. Before KCCA employed me, I was in the ghetto sometimes begging or depending on my friends for survival.

Sometimes I would sleep hungry in video halls since I couldn’t afford rent. But now, I’m earning money paid to me monthly through the bank.

With these earnings, I’m able to pay my own rent and eat any meal that I want. In my area i’m now a source of inspiration for my fellow ghetto youths.

What I hate are the people who litter the city. You see someone throwing rubbish in the drainage and when it blocks they blame KCCA. We need to be responsible city dwellers.

Jennifer Nasasira 30, Butabika in Nakawa Division

Its two years since I joined Seven Hills life and all I can say is life has become easy for me. I’m now able to pay school fees for my children and take care of my mother. I have four children but before KCCA gave us an opportunity to work as street sweepers, I had no hope of getting a stable paying job. Every month I receive my money through the bank. I did not know the entrance of the bank, but now every month I have to go there to pick my money.

Before this opportunity, I was always at home and didn’t know that I could earn from cleaning the city.

Together with my colleagues, we ensure that the mess left by the city dwellers is cleared. It is not a simple job because immediately after we clean, some of the irresponsible people litter the city again.

I want to thank KCCA for supporting us and providing us with protective equipment but my call is on provision of more trucks to carry the garbage.

Betty Kikozi 40, Kyanja Katumba Zone in Nakawa Municipality

Cleaning the city streets should be a celebrated job by everyone, because if it wasn’t for us no one would walk on the street with pride. The work sometimes is overwhelming but we give it all our own.

The biggest challenge we are facing are people who litter irresponsibly. People who dump garbage in drainages, on the roadside. We all need a clean city but it should start with individual responsibility.

The other challenge are the motorists who don’t respect us when we are sweeping roads, they almost knock us.

I’m happy that KCCA has dedicated a day to celebrate our good job and I’m calling upon all Ugandans to appreciate this work.

I want to thank the KCCA ED Dorothy Kisaka who together with the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago remembered us the people from the ghetto and gave us this job of cleaning the city.

Many women like me are benefiting. Personally I’m able to send my three children to school and even when my husband has no money I’m able to support him.

Jamil Kabugo, head sanitation Rubaga Division

There is a lot of change and transformation of the youth in the ghetto following this initiative of employing us as city cleaners. Those who were involved in crimes for lack of jobs are now busy working with KCCA and crimes are going down.

This kind of work is helping shape the young people into responsible citizens, they work hard every day and get paid for the work they do.

Because of our work, flooding in the city has reduced, even when it floods it clears very fast because all the drainages are being desilted.

All we need is to see people respecting us as road sweepers, drainage cleaners. Let city dwellers stop the habit of dumbing garbage in the drainage, let them stop littering the town. There are designated places where to throw the garbage which they must use.

As 7Hills we are proud to work towards having a smart city that Madam Dorothy Kisaka is championing.

I want to call upon all the chairperson LCIs to take lead in ensuring the city is kept clean and garbage is dumped in the right places.

We are ready for the Front liner’s appreciation day to meet the ED who has made us what we are but also for the world to know our importance.