By Naome Namusoke/ KMA Updates
Kampala- The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has asked Parliament for an additional Shs6.018 billion to finance a proposed salary increment for street cleaners, as the Authority steps up efforts to improve sanitation across the city.
The request was presented on today by KCCA Executive Director Sharif Buzeki while appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Presidential Affairs on January 20, 2026. Buzeki was defending KCCA’s 2026/2027 National Budget Framework Paper, which outlines the Authority’s spending priorities for the coming financial year.
Under the current proposal, KCCA plans to increase the daily wage for street cleaners from Shs6,000 to Shs10,000. According to budget documents submitted to Parliament, KCCA’s overall budget is projected to rise from Shs950 billion in the 2025/2026 financial year to Shs1.1 trillion in 2026/2027. Out of this, Shs12.983 billion has been allocated for cleaners’ wages.
However, Buzeki told the committee that the proposed allocation is insufficient to cater for both the salary enhancement and the recruitment of additional staff needed to keep pace with the city’s expanding infrastructure.
“Currently, a cleaner is paid a daily rate of Shs6,000. We are proposing to increase this to Shs10,000. With the increasing number of roads being constructed, we require an additional 432 cleaners. We anticipate adding 81.87 kilometres of paved roads under the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area,” Buzeki said.
Photo
The proposal drew sharp scrutiny from legislators, particularly over the balance between manual labour and mechanised street cleaning. Benjamin Kamukama, the Member of Parliament for Ruhama County, questioned the rationale of hiring more cleaners while KCCA is also seeking Shs1.5 billion to procure mechanised street-cleaning equipment.
“You are asking for an extra 432 cleaners, and at Shs10,000 per day, this will cost over Shs1.5 billion annually. At the same time, you are proposing to spend Shs1.5 billion on cleaning machines. What is the best option?” Kamukama asked.
He further wondered whether the introduction of machines would eventually lead to the phasing out of manual cleaners, arguing that mechanisation could prove to be a cheaper and more sustainable long-term solution. Kamukama also suggested that KCCA consider outsourcing street-cleaning services instead of directly employing workers on a daily basis.
In response, the Minister of State for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Kabuye Kyofatogabye, defended KCCA’s proposal, saying manual cleaners cannot be abruptly replaced by machines that have not yet been procured.
“At this moment, you cannot lay off workers because the machines we are talking about may take up to a year to be delivered. Shall we leave the roads unattended in the meantime?” Kyofatogabye asked.
He explained that as Kampala’s road network continues to expand, both mechanised and manual cleaning methods will be necessary, particularly for clearing drainage channels to prevent flooding.
“In the long term, we shall introduce mechanised cleaning, but we shall also maintain manual cleaning, especially for desilting. We will not lay off workers overnight; we plan to retain them for at least the next five years,” the minister said.
Abubaker Kawalya, the Member of Parliament for Rubaga North flanked by Joyce Bagala,Mityana woman Member of Parliament.Photo/Naome Namusoke
Meanwhile, legislators raised concerns over what they described as glaring gaps in funding for waste management infrastructure. Abubaker Kawalya, the Member of Parliament for Rubaga North, criticised the absence of funding for the decommissioning, rehabilitation and repurposing of the Kiteezi landfill, which requires Shs80.3 billion.
Kawalya also noted that the Shs13.68 billion needed to establish a new waste disposal facility in Buyala, as well as the Shs4.355 billion required to compensate victims of the Kiteezi landfill disaster, had received no allocation in the proposed budget.
“We discussed this matter extensively after last year’s tragedy in Kiteezi, and many of us expected government to act. But when you look at this budget, there is zero allocation. Government is not willing to fund this programme, and as a committee, we need to take action,” Kawalya said.
The Parliamentary Committee on Presidential Affairs is expected to compile its recommendations on KCCA’s budget proposals in the coming weeks, ahead of the finalisation of the 2026/2027 national budget. The committee’s report will determine whether KCCA secures the additional funding needed to implement the proposed salary increments and address Kampala’s growing sanitation challenges.
