Kampala, Uganda, 1 November 2023 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) held a dissemination workshop and the final reports detailing the fecal sludge treatment plant feasibility study and detailed technical designs were officially handed over to the responsible government partners – Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE), Ministry of Local Government (MoLG), and Mukono Municipal Council which marked a significant milestone in the sanitation sector both for Mukono Municipality and surrounding areas within the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.

Project Background

In October 2021, with funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in partnership with the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE), National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) and selected Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA) local governments embarked on a two-year project with the overall objective of strengthening solid waste and fecal sludge management capacity of the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA).

Spanning two years, the project targeted three pivotal outcomes:

• Improved integrated planning for sustainable solid waste and fecal sludge management in the GKMA.
• Enhanced solid waste management in the GKMA.
• Enhanced fecal sludge management in the GKMA.

The GKMA which is about 970km2, is home to approximately 4 million people spread over Kampala City and the neighboring districts of Mpigi, Wakiso, and Mukono, as well as the municipalities of Entebbe, Nansana, Kiira, Mukono, and Makindye-Ssabagabo. Although it is home to just over 10% of the national population, it contributes almost 31.4% of the National GDP and 65% of the national non-agricultural GDP.

The rapid urbanization and high population growth in Kampala City and its surrounding areas have led to challenges in urban waste stream management and this includes the challenge of ensuring that GKMA has environmentally sustainable, healthy, and inclusive socio-economic development. Approximately 90% of the urban population in GKMA relies on on-site sanitation facilities such as individual or shared pit latrines or septic tanks, which all require emptying at some point. However, whilst significant investment has been made in providing safe access to sanitation and containment value chains, limited effort has been placed on the downstream components of the FSM value chain.

Focusing on Fecal Sludge Management: A Comprehensive Approach

Addressing Outcome 3 of the project, a comprehensive site selection and mapping exercise was conducted to identify suitable sites for the construction of a new fecal sludge treatment plant (FSTP) to meet the increasing treatment demands in GKMA. Using a suitability matrix and selection criterion agreed upon by the stakeholders, the waste management site in Katikolo, Mukono Municipality was selected. A feasibility study on Mukono Municipality and surrounding areas was conducted in relation to the FSTP.

The study’s comprehensive findings included: the characteristics of FS generated in the service area; FS generation capacity of target areas; potential sludge valorization options; effluent and biosolids treatment standards; proposed treatment technology options (3 options given); the amount of land required; the proposed business and operational and maintenance model for FSTP and a suitable governance structure. The findings were documented in a final feasibility report. From the 3 technology options the covered lagoon and planted sludge drying bed of 400m3 capacity, were selected as the most suitable for Mukono Municipality, and detailed technical designs and drawings were developed. A Final design report with drawings, BOQs, and engineering cost estimates were developed.

Key Milestone: Dissemination Workshop and Handover of the Mukono Municipality Fecal Sludge Treatment Plant Feasibility Study and Detailed Designs 

The dissemination workshop was attended by other key stakeholders such as KOICA, K-eco, National Planning Authority (NPA), Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (MLHUD), National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Private Emptiers Association, etc.)

This event symbolized a significant step towards improving waste and sanitation capacity management for around 500,000 individuals and 100,000 households within the GKMA. Overall, the project will improve the health and environmental conditions through the reduction of pollution and contamination risk for residents in Mukono and surrounding areas.

In her remarks, the Country Representative (GGGI) Ms. Dagmar Zwebe thanked all the government partners for supporting the project and for being committed to its success. Special thanks went to the Ministry of Water for agreeing to partner with GGGI on this project during the concept development stage. She also congratulated the Mukono Municipality team for the recently passed solid waste and FSM byelaws and on the adoption of the 10-year solid waste and FSM strategies. Both the byelaws and strategies contribute towards the achievement of outcome 1 of this project.

“Recognizing the importance of the FSTPs is crucial for Uganda as most of the population still depends on onsite sanitation facilities… The involvement of all stakeholders to support Mukono Municipality to acquire the necessary funds to implement the planned FTSP is also a necessity,” Eng. Felix Twinomucunguzi, Assistant Commissioner of Urban Sewerage Services (MWE) emphasized. Additionally, he further thanked the GGGI team for working tirelessly on this project and for the quality results that were delivered during the project period.

NWSC which is the agency mandated to manage wastewater in Uganda also expressed appreciation for the work done on this assignment and was happy to learn that the FSTP site at Katikolo is also suitable for sewerage treatment. The consultant noted that the site is close to the industrial park and is gently sloping allowing for smooth flow of sewage by gravity and worth taking into consideration by NWSC for future sewerage service delivery.

Formal Handover and Future Collaboration

At the end of the workshop, The GGGI Country Representative officially handed over the final FSTP feasibility study and detailed technical design reports to the Assistant Commissioner of Urban sewerage services (MWE) and Commissioner Urban (MoLG). The ministry representatives then handed over the documents to the Mukono municipality Mayor and Town Clerk.

The Mayor and Town Clerk for Mukono Municipality, as the beneficiary municipality, gave a vote of thanks to GGGI, KOICA, and all stakeholders for the support and commitment to ensuring that the required land is acquired as soon as possible and the FSTP becomes a reality.

Moving forward, the related line ministries and Mukono Municipality will work together, with the support of development partners like GGGI, in securing funds for the implementation of the strategies and development of FSTP.

This collaborative effort stands as a beacon of hope, marking a significant stride toward a cleaner, more sustainable future for Uganda.

Figure 1: Dagmar Zwebe, Country Representative, GGGI Uganda together with Eng. Felix Twinomucunguzi the Assistant Commissioner of Urban Sewerage Services (MWE) handing over the FSTP Feasibility Study and Detailed Design Reports to the Ministry of Local Government.