Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies, is expected to take control of the Kiteezi landfill site in Uganda.
An order from the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, to the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to speed up the handover of the Kiteezi landfill to Zoomlion Ghana Limited demonstrates his trust in the expertise of the Ghanaian waste management company.
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.
This project takes Ghana’s leading waste management company, Zoomlion, to East Africa, as it had landed a juicy deal in Uganda.
The directive to KCCA to quickly handover to Zoomlion was issued during a high-profile meeting at the State House in Entebbe.
The order will allow the Ghana-based company with “vast experience in waste and landfill management” to begin decommissioning works at the landfill site.
The Jospong Group of Companies has been contracted by the Ugandan government to decommission the 39-acre Kiteezi Landfill in the Wakiso District, near Kampala, and transform the site into a modern ecological recreational facility.
In addition to this, the Ghanaian conglomerate is also planning to invest in integrated composting and recycling systems, as well as transfer stations.
This will provide comprehensive waste treatment and disposal solutions to improve environmental sanitation in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
The system will also produce organic compost for agricultural and horticultural applications, while recovered plastics will serve as raw materials for a new bin manufacturing facility.
The initiative is expected to create over 2,000 direct jobs for Ugandans.
CONFIDENCE
The Ugandan President, Museveni, 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.
He praised its expertise in waste management, particularly in recycling and composting, emphasising 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.”
ATTENDANCE
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.
GRATITUDE
Dr. Joseph Agyepong expressed his profound gratitude to the President’s for the warm reception accorded him and his team, remarking that this “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.
The collaborative project comes on the heels of a devastating waste slide on August 10, 2024, which resulted in 23 fatalities and significant property damage.
