Kampala launches waste-to-energy plant

Kampala's massive garbage problem just got a potential fix with a new facility turning organic waste into cooking gas and fertilizer.

The new waste-to-energy plant

• KCCA and Homeklin Ltd launched the facility in Nsambya.
• It converts biodegradable waste into biogas and organic fertilizer.
• The goal is diverting organic waste away from overstretched landfills like Kiteezi.
• Methane emissions from decomposing garbage get cut in the process.

Scale of Kampala's trash problem

• The city generates roughly 730,000 tonnes of waste every year.
• Most of it currently ends up in landfills with no value recovery.
• Air pollution and groundwater contamination are tied to poor waste handling.
• Population growth keeps making the situation worse.

KCCA's take on the project

• Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki called it a major leap for urban waste management.
• Buzeki framed biogas production as turning trash into actual value.
• She invited more private-sector players to invest in similar ventures.
• Clean energy generation and climate resilience are both on the agenda.

Behavior change is the catch

• Homeklin Managing Director Isaac Katureebe says household-level sorting is non-negotiable.
• Mixing organic and non-organic waste wrecks recycling and energy recovery.
• A citywide campaign promoting waste separation is already rolling out.
• Households that sort properly get free collection as an incentive.