Waste management practices and waste reduction in urban areas in Uganda , a case of Entebbe municipal council

Abstract

The study examined effectiveness of waste management practices on waste reduction in urban areas in Uganda, with a specific focus on Entebbe Municipal Council. The objectives that guided the study were; to examine the effect of public-private partnership on waste reduction in Entebbe municipal council, to determine the effect of community sensitization on waste reduction in Entebbe municipal council and to examine the influence of enforcement of sanitation and hygiene by-laws on waste reduction in Entebbe municipal council. The study adopted mixed methods research. This study used a descriptive survey research design. Out of 190 target population, a total of 129 were arrived at using Yamane (1967) formula. Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews, observation, and documentary review methods. Questionnaires provided structured responses from various respondents, interviews allowed in-depth, flexible data collection from key informants, observation gave firsthand insights into real-life situations, and documentary review supplied secondary data to support and guide the research. Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis and presented narratively to interpret subjects and contexts, while quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Spearman rank correlation with SPSS version 21 to examine relationships between variables. The findings show that public-private partnerships significantly improve waste management efficiency, technology use, funding, job creation, and community awareness in Entebbe. Community sensitization enhances residents’ waste practices, promoting recycling, responsible disposal, and civic engagement. Strong enforcement of sanitation by-laws drives compliance, financial sustainability, cleaner environments, and better institutional coordination, highlighting its vital role in effective waste reduction. The study concluded that public-private partnerships have no significant effect on waste reduction (r = -0.058, p = 0.514; R² = 0.003), while community sensitization has a weak, non-significant positive relationship (r = 0.159, p = 0.074; R² = 0.025). In contrast, enforcement of sanitation by-laws has a significant moderate positive impact on waste reduction (r = 0.258, p = 0.003; R² = 0.066), with enforcement increasing waste reduction by 0.400 units per unit increase. The study recommended that establishing performance-based PPP contracts, investing in modern technologies, and enhancing community participation and public awareness campaigns. Additionally, enforcement agencies should strengthen law enforcement, while policymakers update sanitation by-laws to promote compliance and sustainable waste management.