Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has earmarked Shs50 million to combat the growing bedbug infestation affecting several communities in the city.
The funding was announced by KCCA Executive Director Hajat Sharifah Buzeki during the authority’s weekly Weyonje community clean-up campaign, an initiative held every Saturday to promote cleanliness, proper waste disposal and better sanitation in Kampala.
During the exercise in Kawempe One Parish, residents raised concerns over the rising number of bedbugs and cockroaches in their neighbourhoods, calling on KCCA to take stronger action to eliminate the pests.
In response, Buzeki directed local leaders to identify the areas most severely affected so that KCCA can deploy teams to carry out targeted fumigation and other control measures. She noted that while the authority is providing financial support for the intervention, residents must also play their part by maintaining clean homes and surroundings, as poor hygiene creates favourable conditions for the pests to thrive.
The Executive Director also reminded residents that proper waste management remains critical in keeping Kampala clean and healthy. She warned against the creation of illegal dumping sites, saying anyone found dumping rubbish in unauthorised places would face legal action.
The primary objective of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Weyonje campaign is to drive postive behaaboirral change and promote community responsbiity in managing house hold and city waste Loosely translating to “clean yourself” or “be clean” in Luganda, it empowers individuals to take charge of their immediate surroundings to reduce city-wide pollution and prevent disease outbreaks
Buzeki urged vendors who were removed from city streets to relocate to gazetted KCCA and privately owned markets. She added that the authority is exploring opportunities to establish additional market spaces to accommodate more traders while maintaining order in the city.
