By Alex Adi
The President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has directed the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to expedite the handover of the Kiteezi Landfill to Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies.
The directive, issued during a high-profile meeting at the State House in Entebbe, will allow the Ghana-based company with “vast experience in waste and landfill management” to have the opportunity to begin decommissioning works at the landfill site.
The President, speaking to a delegation from the Jospong Group led by its Executive Chairman, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, expressed his unwavering confidence in the Jospong brand, praising its expertise in waste management, particularly in recycling and composting. President Museveni emphasised that Jospong’s Integrated Recycling and Composting initiatives represent a bold and much-needed approach to tackling Africa’s long-standing waste management challenges.
The President called for greater unity among African nations to pursue self-sufficiency in crucial sectors, declaring that “Africa must be a unified force, building its own capabilities and not relying on others for its development. Our self-reliance will drive our success”.
The meeting was attended by several high-ranking officials of the Group, including Mrs. Florence Larbi, Chief Operating Officer of Jospong’s Environment and Sanitation (E&S) cluster, Mr. Haidar Said, Executive Director of E&S, and Mr. Peter Dagadu, Project Lead for Zoomlion Uganda. Also present at the meeting were key Ugandan government officials made up of the Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, Ms. Minsa Kabanda, Minister for Kampala, Joseph Kyofatogabye Kabuye, and acting KCCA Executive Director, Frank Rusa.
The President’s directive follows reports of delays from KCCA officials over legal concerns surrounding the landfill handover. Earlier in the week, Minister Kabanda had urged city authorities to proceed with the transfer of the site to Jospong, stressing the urgent need to engage the surrounding community and commence operations by March 2024.
Dr Joseph Agyepong expressed his profound gratitude to the President for the warm reception accorded him and his team. He said the project:
“signals Uganda’s commitment to addressing waste management challenges through strategic partnerships with African enterprises.”
The Jospong Group’s involvement marks a pivotal moment in Uganda’s quest to modernise its waste infrastructure, given its track record of successful waste management projects across the continent.
This collaboration underscores a broader Pan-African vision that places African companies at the forefront of solving the continent’s environmental and development issues, creating a future where African ingenuity drives sustainable progress.
