Sustainable Private Sector Participation in Municipal Solid Waste Collection Services

In Uganda, the responsibility for Solid Waste Management (SWM) lies with local authorities, hence the situation in Arua Municipal Council (AMC) is not an exception. Prior to decentralisation, AMC provided SWM services directly to all the areas in the Municipality. However, in 1997, Uganda adopted the decentralisation policy which transferred the day-to-day SWM operations from AMC to Division Councils. This resulted into the accumulation of waste in many parts of the Municipality, leading to wide public outcry. Hence waste collection services were extended to the private sector in 2001 on the premise that, service delivery can be improved and sustainability enhanced. This study focused on the functioning of the privatised waste collection service delivery in AMC. The first part of the study provides insights into the current system of waste collection in AMC. The second part explores the concept of sustainability from the view points of three stakeholder groups; the Local authority as the service regulator, the private operator as the service provider and the citizens in households and commercial establishments as service users. The last part highlights the recommendations made by the respective stakeholders on how the current waste collection services can be made more sustainable. The study was exploratory single case study embedded. The sample selection for service users was stratified random while for the private operator and workers and AMC staff, it was purposive. Various publications were reviewed on privatisation and sustainable SWM based on the Integrated Sustainable Waste Management (ISWM) Model. Assessment indicators were then developed as an analytical tool in order to measure the sustainability of the waste services. The waste system is deemed sustainable if the technical, financial, social, environmental and institutional goals are achieved. Primary data collection methods involved open and closed-ended questionnaires which were administered on the service users while in-depth interviews were conducted with AMC staff, the private operators and workers. Observations and a review of secondary data were also carried out. The findings were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively aided by Microsoft Excel application and presented in the form of tables, graphs, pie charts and figures. The findings show that there are two systems of waste collection; door-to-door and communal system and there is only one private waste collection operator. The households in the medium and low income zones do not receive the collection services. The collection services are not sustainable because not all technical, financial, social, environmental and institutional goals as per the ISWM Model were achieved. However, the financial, social and environmental aspects are down played in comparison to the technical and institutional goals. In order to make the delivery system sustainable a set of recommendations are formulated; availability of appropriate and sufficient equipments and facilities, mobilisation of financial resources, public education and awareness on sound SWM, waste segregation, regulatory framework on SWM, strengthening of the monitoring system, community involvement in SWM and encouraging competition among private waste collection operators. Keywords: sustainability, privatisation, municipal solid waste, collection services, Arua Municipal Council.