Kayonza District plans to construct landfills and a sewage treatment plant worth Rwf 700 million, officials announced on Monday.

According to the district executive secretary, Ronald Kiwanuka, the project whose works have already started, is being financed by the Lake Victoria Water Supply and Sanitation Programme (LVWATSAN), through the East African Community (EAC).

"They have started clearing the ground and the work will be done in phases,” he said.

The plant will have the capacity to serve over 25,000 people in Kayonza town.

The construction is being undertaken by ANGELIQUE and IVRCL, an Indian company.

According to Jean Paul Mudenge, the in charge of environmental management at the district, the project would help improve water and sanitation in the town.

"Experts first made an assessment in households, while wastes disposed were checked in sampled homes. The number of population visa-a-vis human waste expected, was assessed. The capacity of the plant, therefore, correlates with solid waste and feacal sludge expected,” he said.

Mudenge said despite improvements in general access to sanitation over the last years, most of the population still lacked access to improved sanitation.

"The plant has come at the right time…there has been practically no dumping site in this district. Sewage management systems require the involvement of stakeholders, such as households, the collection and transport company, treatment plant and disposal. This will, in effect, provide employment for the skilled and non skilled manpower.”

Mudenge meanwhile said the solid waste would be converted into fertilisers and biogas.

"We are planning for a recycling centre… unrecyclable solid material like tissue paper and plastic containers will be separated to produce other things. It has so much economic benefits,” Mudenge said.

Meanwhile, residents said such key projects take years to complete, requesting that a temporary dump site be quickly constructed to cater for sanitation issues.

LVWATSAN plans to construct similar plants in the Nyagatare and Nyanza district towns.

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