Factors Influencing Solid Waste Management in Uganda: Case Study of Central Uganda

Abstract

Solid waste management is increasingly becoming the biggest problem in many urban centers of the world and central Uganda is no exception. The research mainly focused on domestic solid waste. The three objectives that guided this research were; influence of demographic, social and economic characteristic of the population and solid waste management. The research made use of both qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitative data was analyzed using STATA 15. Results indicated that there was significant statistical association between solid waste management in urban areas of Central Uganda. The majority of the respondents (87.5%) disposed in gardens or burnt their wastes, 71.9% of the respondents disposed their wastes in gardens and even burnt, this method of solid waste management was used more by people in the rural areas (87.5%) of Central Uganda compared to those in the urban areas. Therefore a reliable waste collection service is needed, and waste collection vehicles need to be appropriate to local conditions, Waste needs to be sorted at source as much as possible, Co-operation among communities, the informal waste collectors and the authorities is necessary, a properly sited engineered landfill should be constructed with operation contracted to the private sector and there for further research should be done on the effect of poor solid management on the health status of the population.