The Menace of Plastics in Uganda’s Water Bodies
"By 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.” — World Economic Forum
From source to water bodies and to dining. Photo credit: Journalist Africa
Uganda Today Edition: Killing Ourselves Softly: Uganda’s Plastic Crisis and the Illusion of Action.
Killing Ourselves Softly: Uganda’s Plastic Crisis and the Illusion of Action.
By Davis Owomugisha
“By 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.” — World Economic Forum
It starts with a bottle. Then a bag. Then a mountain.
A 2023 report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) revealed that Uganda generates over 600 metric tonnes of plastic waste every day. Only 40% of it is collected. The rest ends up choking our drainage systems, piling up on the streets, or floating in our lakes and rivers.
Yet, in the midst of this growing crisis, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is busy arresting pedestrians for stepping on the grass.
The real question is: Are we solving the problem or just staging a show?
Let’s be clear. Law and order are essential. Designated walkways should be respected. Waste should be disposed of properly. But arrests alone won’t fix a broken waste management system.
Arresting a market woman for tossing a banana peel or dragging a street child to court for stepping off the pavement may look like “enforcement.” But it ignores a deeper rot—the systemic failure to manage Uganda’s plastic crisis at its roots.
In 2009, Uganda passed a ban on plastic bags (kavera) below 30 microns. It was a bold step applauded globally. But fast-forward to 2025, and kavera is still everywhere—from food vendors to supermarkets, to roadside sellers.
Where is the disconnect?
The Numbers Don’t Lie
According to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), over 39 companies still manufacture or import plastic bags illegally. Uganda remains a regional hub for cheap plastic—while policies gather dust.
Meanwhile:One kavera takes up to 500 years to decompose.
Kampala alone produces 1,500 tonnes of solid waste daily, and plastic makes up 30% of that.
Only 12% of plastic in Uganda is recycled, leaving the rest to end up in landfills, gardens, or our dinner plates as microplastics.
Let’s not sugarcoat it. We are facing a public health emergency and an environmental disaster.
Clogged drainage systems—caused by plastics—contribute to Kampala’s deadly floods. A study by Makerere University found that 60% of urban flooding cases in the past five years were linked to blocked drainage from plastic waste.
“Plastic pollution is now one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time,” says Dr. Emmanuel Obbo, an environmental scientist at Kyambogo University. “And Uganda is not just suffering from it—we are nurturing it through inaction.”
If people don’t understand the danger, they won’t change. If policies aren’t enforced across the chain—from manufacturers to consumers—then the arrests are just for show.
We need:Mass education campaigns—in local languages, using radio, drama, and community forums—to explain why kavera is dangerous.
Incentives for manufacturers to switch to biodegradable packaging.
Public-private partnerships to scale up recycling industries.
Innovation support—like schools and startups creating bricks and fuel from waste plastics.
Civic responsibility—Ugandans must stop blaming and start acting. If you drop it, you own it.
Uganda doesn’t need to pretend to be clean—we need to be clean.
Arrests may attract cameras, but they don’t clean rivers. We must go beyond punishing individuals and fix the broken systems behind the pollution.
The face isn’t the problem. It’s what’s inside.
It’s time we stopped walking on the grass—and started planting seeds for real change.
The writer is a communications Director,and CEO DE’TEK MEDIA Uganda
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