How Household wastes are managed and its implication on physical planning in Katabi Town Council, Wakiso District
Abstract
Household waste disposal and management is both an urban and rural problem. Every person is a
potential generator of waste and thus a contributor to this problem. To generate waste is one
thing, the type of waste generated is another and yet also the way the generated waste is managed
or disposed of is quite a different issue. This study was carried out in Katabi Town Council
which is located within Wakiso District in Central Uganda. The main objective of this study to
identify major factors that have contributed to poor household waste management in Katabi
Town Council , in light of the suggest strategies that would improve on household waste
management in Katabi Town Council for future management. This study used a combination of
both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to research. It therefore draws on the crosssectional
study design as explained by Bryman (2004) and also on aspects of a
phenomenological research design as discussed by Blanche et al., (2006). The findings revealed
that the majority proportion of the public in Katabi Town Council exhibited concern and an
amount of sensitivity about household waste though sorting of household waste is less adopted.
The level of item reuse is similarly low in Katabi Town Council and the people still think that
they cannot do anything to reduce the volume of household s waste they generate. There are
challenges of limited resources to manage the household wastes and illegal dumping in Katabi
Town Council. However, there are plans for formal disposal facilities, use of the legal instrument
and awareness-raising as a way to deal with the challenges. Therefore, because the level of
public participation in household waste management at present in Katabi Town Council is low,
the best way to start dealing with the problem is for the Town Council authorities to show the
people that they are worth by involving them in the initial planning process.