Building Owners In Fort Portal Flout Sanitation Policy

http://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=56022

Owners of buildings in Fort Portal Municipality are flouting the sanitation policy passed by the municipal council last year.

The policy spells out proper disposal of garbage, availability of toilet facilities and proper management of sewerage in business premises and homes. It also spells out grounds for penalties for individuals who defy the policy.

The policy is, however, being flouted by the building owners and the municipal authorities have not apprehended anyone for it.

Across Fort-Portal, many shops are operating with no dustbins for garbage disposal. Some buildings have become the site of constant sewerage spillage while a heavy stench of urine and human waste is a constant in the corridors between buildings.

At His Grace Arcade on Malibo Road, there is only toilet used by more than thirty tenants. Sewerage spills are common in the building. David Musinguzi, who operates a shop in the building, says every tenant pays 400,000 shillings per month, so the owner should provide adequate toilet facilities for them.

At Kalita Bus Park in West Division, two toilets in one of the commercial buildings burst and human waste flows in the park. Human waste is dumped in the middle of the park, and yet there are several people with shops and eating-places. The entrance of the park is littered with kitchen refuse from the restaurants.

Ronald Mwesigwa, a trader at the bus park fears that there may be an outbreak of cholera, because the municipality has done nothing to rectify this anomaly. He wants the authorities to close buildings that don’t adhere to the sanitation guidelines.

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At EK Downtown Arcade, there isn’t proper disposal of garbage. Tenants dump garbage at the entrance of the arcade and it’s never collected for more than a week. On Magambo Street, sewerage from several homes flows in the middle of the road, inconveniencing people with businesses.

The Municipal Health Inspector, Grace Birungi acknowledges the problem, but cites the lack of law enforcement officers which has crippled the fight against poor sanitation. She also blames local council officials in the municipal divisions for failing to sensitize locals about sanitation and good hygiene. Fort Portal is made up of three divisions—South, East and West.

Birungi believes if the local councilors were vigilant enough, they would have helped the municipal authorities by arresting owners of building who are flouting the policy.

 She says that they have written to the District Service Commission to recruit more law enforcement officers.