Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) workers responsible for sweeping streets and collecting garbage in the city have gone on strike. The workers claim they have not received any salary for the past five months.
Workers’ Complaints
The cleaning crew stated that their last payment was in December 2023. Since then, they have continued to work, hoping they would be paid soon. However, their hopes began to fade after a recent meeting with KCCA officials. Instead of providing a clear date for payment, the officials called enforcement to remove the workers from City Hall premises. This led the workers to decide to stop working until they are paid.
Protest Actions
The protesting workers, including Vicent Lubuulwa, known as Golola, expressed their frustration by littering Dunstan Street in Nakasero market with garbage. Golola said, “We last received payment in December last year (2023). Since then, we have been working with hope that we shall be cleared soon, but all in vain. Our hopes started fading last week following an engagement with KCCA officials who, instead of giving us a clear date for clearing our wages, called enforcement to throw us out of their premises at City Hall. Now we are left with no option other than putting down our tools and wait for them to pay us.”
Additional Issues
The workers also raised other concerns. They mentioned that KCCA has failed to remit their National Social Security Fund (NSSF) contributions, they work under poor conditions, and they face threats of contract termination whenever they demand their wages. Margret Nakku, another frontline worker, said, “We no longer care whether they terminate our contracts, but our wages should be paid so that we can also be able to provide for our families just as these KCCA officials do after receiving their salaries on time every month.”
Police Response
To prevent disruption of business around Nakasero market, the police quickly intervened and cordoned off the area.
KCCA’s Assurance
In an attempt to calm the workers, acting KCCA spokesperson Daniel Nuwabine assured them that their salaries would be paid soon. He said, “We understand the nature of your feelings, and I want to assure you that KCCA is working around the clock to ensure that you receive your salaries soon. In fact, we wanted to clear it before the closure of business today (Wednesday), but there were unexpected interruptions which have caused us delays paying you.” Nuwabine also asked the workers to clean up the garbage they had thrown on the street, but the workers continued their protest.
Ongoing Protest
The workers’ protest follows a series of meetings they have had with KCCA and other government entities, including Parliament. Since these meetings did not result in any payments, the workers decided to protest. They have vowed to continue their strike until their salaries are paid.
