A city court fined Ronald Katende 500,000 shillings after he admitted throwing trash into the Nakivubo drainage channel. Magistrate Edgar Karakire handed down the penalty on April 16, giving Katende the option to pay or serve four months in jail. The magistrate considered that Katende had never broken the law before and immediately confessed to his actions.
Police arrested Katende on April 7 when a video showed him emptying garbage from his three-wheeled vehicle into the waterway. He asked the court for mercy because he supports his pregnant wife and toddler. Officials kept him at Luzira prison until his court appearance yesterday.
The National Environmental Act normally sets much higher fines of 11 million shillings for similar violations. After catching Katende, Kampala Capital City Authority warned citizens against hiring people to dump waste improperly. KCCA officials said Katende regularly collected community trash and left it along Queensway in the Katwe area, creating health risks for nearby residents.
Police arrested Katende on April 7 when a video showed him emptying garbage from his three-wheeled vehicle into the waterway. He asked the court for mercy because he supports his pregnant wife and toddler. Officials kept him at Luzira prison until his court appearance yesterday.
The National Environmental Act normally sets much higher fines of 11 million shillings for similar violations. After catching Katende, Kampala Capital City Authority warned citizens against hiring people to dump waste improperly. KCCA officials said Katende regularly collected community trash and left it along Queensway in the Katwe area, creating health risks for nearby residents.
