Factors and Constraints Hindering Effective Municipal Solid Waste Management Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: Case Study of Northern Uganda

Abstract

In developing countries, little information is available about solid-waste characteristics, determinants for adoption and performance-evaluation of municipal-waste management systems in Municipals. This study aimed: to characterize the municipal solid-wastes, collection, dumping and evaluate the efficiency and reliability of Municipal solid-waste management system. A total of 200 households were randomly sampled and interviewed. Data was analysed using Binary-Logistic Regression model to determine factors influencing collection and dumping of solid wastes. Results showed that biodegradable/organic wastes comprise a major fraction of solid-wastes produced. Factors that influenced solid-waste collection and dumping included: household-age, unavailability of solid-waste containers, inadequate collection/dumping space and weak legal-enforcement against poor-dumping. The waste system is constrained by inadequate transport facilities, inadequate space for temporal dumping; and lack of legal enforcement in matters of solid-waste poor handling. These have made the systems ineffective and unreliable. This study recommends involvement of all stakeholders in innovative approaches to uphold sustainable municipal sanity.