Uganda picks Lira City as pilot for national e-waste collection system

Uganda has launched a national electronic waste collection campaign in Lira City, naming the northern municipality among the pilot urban councils that will test a new system for separating discarded electronics from ordinary household waste.

The launch took place on 1 November 2026, during the fourth National Cleaning Day celebrations held in Lira City. The campaign's stated aim is responsible disposal, recycling, and the conversion of waste into useful products. No tonnage targets, processing capacity figures, or facility investments accompanied the announcement.

Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi, representing the Prime Minister at the event, framed the campaign around separation at source. Residents are expected to sort electronic materials, plastics, grass, and organic waste into separate streams.

"We have launched the campaign of collecting e-waste. As you clean your environment and homes, let us identify electronic waste and separate it from other materials, including grass, plastics and organic waste," Dr Baryomunsi said.

The minister added that the government is in what he described as advanced stages of developing arrangements to convert collected waste into useful products, including fertiliser and recycled plastics, through value addition initiatives. He offered no timeline, contractor, or budget. The downstream processing capacity, in short, remains a promise rather than a plant.

Who is building the system?

Lira City Mayor Sam Atul said the city will partner with Lira University and the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance to implement the new e-waste management system. The ministry has promised support to both the city council and the university, according to the mayor.

"We are going to be among the pilot urban councils to manage the e-waste material. Together with Lira University, the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance has promised support to us as City Council and to Lira University to make sure that we adapt this new way and method of handling electronic waste," Mr Atul said.

He noted that the initiative is intended to address a growing disposal challenge for electronics in the city while encouraging residents to adopt what he called environmentally responsible practices. The pilot status, rather than any built infrastructure, is the concrete deliverable so far.

Why does a microfinance body care?

Tadeo Atuhura, Communications Manager at the Microfinance Support Centre, backed the campaign on economic grounds. The centre works with economically active communities through programmes such as Emyooga, which supports entrepreneurs across sectors including restaurants, salons, welding, and carpentry.

"We pride in health and wealth. You can be able to create wealth once you are healthy. Most of our circles, especially under Emyooga, include restaurant owners, salon operators, welders and carpenters. For these enterprises to operate well, they must be in a clean environment," Mr Atuhura said.

He argued that poor health diverts money meant for investment and savings towards medical expenses, making waste management a bottom-line issue for small enterprises.

Government Chief Whip Dr Jane Ruth Aceng added a deadline of sorts to the sanitation agenda. She urged Lira City residents to maintain high sanitation standards as the city prepares to host continental football activities at Akii-Bua Stadium during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Proper sanitation, she said, will be essential to preventing disease and maintaining a healthy population before the tournament.

The National Cleaning Day celebrations drew government officials, local leaders, businesses, and residents together around sanitation and waste management themes.

What happens next?

The campaign is announced, not yet operating. The material stream — discarded electronics mixed into household waste — has been identified, and the institutional partners named: Lira City Council, Lira University, and the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance.

What decides whether this pilot becomes a system is the arrival of the promised value addition arrangements: the fertiliser and recycled plastic outputs the minister says are in advanced development. Until a collection tonnage, a processing site, or a ministry implementation schedule appears on the record, Lira has a campaign, not an e-waste system.