By Irene Best Nyapendi
One of the biggest headaches that officials at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) have had in the recent past is garbage disposal. The city authority now finds itself in a dilemma of where to dispose of its garbage after the only garbage dumpsite in Kiteezi, Kampala, collapsed, causing a landslide that left more than 30 people dead.

The collapse of the dump meant that the city authority had to seek alternative sites to dump its more than 2,500 tons of garbage produced per day. According to KCCA, of that quantity, only 40% of the garbage is collected, causing a waste management crisis. And of all the garbage produced, up to 80% is inorganic, making the garbage bulky.

However, scholars at Uganda Christian University (UCU) could have some answers to questions concerning the waste management crisis. UCU is working through research spearheaded by Dr. Geoffrey Ssepuuya, from the Department of Food Science and Nutrition in the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the university.

Three months ago, a team from UCU, led by Ssepuuya, launched a pilot project to convert food waste into insect and livestock feed through small-scale industrial production. The project involves collecting food waste, sorting it, processing it into feed and packaging it for distribution as animal feed.

The initiative focuses on converting food waste into animal feed, offering a sustainable solution to the city’s garbage challenge.

It also involves distributing specially-designed garbage cans to participating households, to facilitate efficient collection of organic waste. Each household receives two cans: one for cooked food waste and the other for raw food scraps.

This method not only facilitates effective waste management, but also converts waste into valuable cricket feed, providing a sustainable solution for waste disposal while promoting environmental conservation.

By converting food waste into animal feed, the project reduces organic waste in landfills, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigates health risks.

The conversion process offers a dual benefit: reducing waste volume in dumpsites and producing high-protein cricket feed for animal and human consumption.

The project is being spearheaded by a team of five — Dr. Ssepuuya, the principal investigator; Patrick Mulondo from PKM Enterprises; Pamella Akwap from Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS); Jane Alowo from Makerere University and Elsie Nsiyona from UCU.

At the launch of the project at UCU in April, Ssepuuya said by converting organic waste into valuable resources, they can address waste management, food security and environmental sustainability.

He emphasized that food waste can be utilized to produce animal and insect feeds due to many unutilized nutrients in the waste.

Joshua Ssalongo, a piggery farmer, thanked UCU for the initiative. 

“We have been importing feeds for our pigs; however, this project will help us get these feeds locally made with the help of UCU,” Ssalongo said.

Vanecio Masereka, who works for Marie Royal Hotel, wants additional trash cans, emphasizing the significance of the project.

“The two cans we have are not enough, yet they serve a great purpose,” Masereka explained. “Having more cans would help us manage our waste more effectively and contribute to sustainability efforts.”

Suzan Kisaakye, who lives in Kampala, highlights potential benefits for her community and beyond.

“They increase our flexibility since the organic foods that add weight to our garbage are taken free of charge,” she noted. “It not only helps us manage our waste better, but also supports the environment.”

Patrick Kamya, a restaurant attendant, said the cans enable him to sort his garbage efficiently.

“From the cans, I am able to know how much food is being consumed or how much food is being wasted,” he noted. “This helps us reduce waste and manage our resources better.”

Ssepuuya and his team are committed to expanding the program and refining the waste-to-feed process. They aim to create a scalable model that can be implemented across the city and eventually the entire country.

The UCU research team also is collaborating with local authorities and community leaders to ensure the program’s success and scalability. The initiative is part of a broader effort to promote sustainable practices and raise awareness about the importance of waste management and environmental conservation, more so that the World Bank estimates that the rapid population growth is likely to increase the amount of waste generated by 70% in 2050, from the 2016 figures.

The waste management innovation is funded through UCU by the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) through the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology and is expected to cost $63,700 (about sh242m). Part of the pilot will include looking at knowledge attitudes and practices of sorted food waste collection, establishing a facility to help in the processing of feeds, and sensitizing the community about the importance of sorting their waste.

Florence Agwang, a grants officer at UNCST, said the project is an example of a good problem-solving intervention.

“As researchers, we need to answer all the problems of the people,” Agwang said. “Our research should not sit on the shelves. If this project succeeds, it is going to be one of our reference points that it is possible to invest in the private sector.”

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