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National Environment Management Authority launched anti-litter and waste management campaign called ‘Yonja Uganda,’ aiming to sensitize the public on proper waste disposal practices. It is also conducting spot checks on highways, imposing fines of up to shs12 million for violators of the littering law and crackdown passenger service vehicles without dustbins.

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has started the crackdown on passenger service vehicles (PSVs) without dustbins.

As part of the crackdown, NEMA police will carry out spot checks on highways and PSVs found without dustbins will be subjected to the express penalty scheme.

“Littering is against the law and can lead you to court and pay a fine of shs12 million. To enforce this law, we have started spot checks targeting buses, taxis and other public service vehicles without dustbins. These spot checks will be all over the country,” NEMA Executive Director, Dr. Akankwasa Barirega said on Tuesday 19^th September, 2023 as he launched an anti-litter and waste management campaign at Lukaya highway market.

According to the National Environment Management Act, 2019, littering is punishable with up to shs12 million in fines in courts of law. NEMA recently introduced an express penalty scheme for violators of the NEMA Act 2019.

Speaking on Tuesday, the NEMA boss said it will be on the discretion of the members of the public, especially drivers found in breach of the law to accept to be taken to court to pay the shs6 million express penalty scheme.

“We put the express penalty scheme for those who don’t want to have their time wasted by going to court. You get arrested without a dustbin in the car, you pay your shs6 million and go away,” Dr. Akankwasa said.

He noted that NEMA had suspended the operation to crack down on PSVs without dustbins to give members of the public time to prepare.

The NEMA boss said the grace period has elapsed and that now they are going full scale to crackdown on violators of the law.

“We shall arrest and prosecute anybody found littering. We shall also impound the public passenger vehicles which are found without dustbins in them. We have already sensitized public transport managers by going through bus and taxi parks. They actually asked for one month grace period but we extended the beginning of the operation from April to May so that they are prepared. By now, nobody has an excuse not to have a waste receptacle in their public passenger vehicles.”

Anti-litter and waste management campaign

Speaking during the function, Dr. Akankwasa said the campaign will sensitize and engage vendors, government officials and members of the public in sustainable waste management practices.

The campaign code-named ‘Yonja Uganda’ is to be rolled out across the country.

“If we don’t take hygiene as key, it will have an impact on the environment which will in turn affect us. For example, if we use Kaveera and dispose it in soil and eaten by animals, they die. If kaveera is thrown in the drainage system, it is the floods you hear about.  With this campaign, we want to sensitize the public on good practices of managing waste,” he said.

“Our mission is to empower more people to protect the environment by sensitizing them on the good practices.”

Speaking during the launch, the Kalungu RDC, Paddy Kayondo applauded NEMA for involving members of the public in their sensitization drives that he said will ensure everyone plays their role well.

“I am happy   NEMA had come to where the problems are. When these people see you, maybe they will pick a lesson or two and copy these practices in their homes. I am sure this campaign will open people’s eyes on the good environmental practices that will save us,” Kayondo said.

He said some villages in the district have in the past faced floods which have washed way people’s houses, a state of affairs he attributed to poor disposal of wastes by locals.

“You never know with this campaign; the people will learn that disposing kaveera in the drainage system or encroaching on wetlands is not proper. When such campaigns are repeatedly rolled out, people’s perceptions will with time change.”

During the function, NEMA donated dustbins to the leadership of Lukaya highway market to ensure proper disposal of litter.