Practices and challenges of solid waste management in Kinawataka slum, Kampala city.

Abstract

This study examined the practices and challenges of solid waste management in the Kinawataka slum. The study focused on methods and strategies of solid waste generation, SWM practices adopted, and constraints and copying strategies faced in the management of solid waste at the household level. The theory of planned behavior was used because it argued behavior changes based on the attitudes and beliefs of a society. A positive influence on behavior actions ultimately leads to corresponding changes in adoption of best SWM practices. The study adopted a mixed methods research approach where by quantitative data was collected first and analyzed and then qualitative data was collected to further contextualize the quantitative findings. Data was collected from 187 respondents in Kinawataka slum. While analyzing data the study used SPSS for quantitative and thematic approaches for qualitative data. The study results suggest there is an increased generation of SW in the wet season and daily. The study results further indicate that the dominant solid waste that is produced year-round is domestic. The study results further indicate that households majorly generated, stored, and disposed of solid waste, and little was done around collection, transportation, and recycling. Illegal and indiscriminate dumping characterized most of the households as per the study findings. The study findings show that households majorly attributed poor disposal practices to the distance to the disposal site. The study shows that there was no SW collection point within Kinawataka slum. The study indicated multiple challenges and coping strategies in SWM such as lack of money, illegal dumping, and lack of knowledge among others. The study therefore recommends that households should interest themselves in sensitization programs to acquire knowledge, especially around the benefits of proper waste segregation at a household level, and also the government to set up a processing plant close to or within Kinawataka slum where agents put in place SW at a fee from household