Several public toilets constructed by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) have been closed for various reasons and remain unopened, causing significant public health concerns.
In 2018, KCCA reported that one percent of city households lacked toilet facilities. This means approximately 4.5 million residents are at risk of diseases like typhoid and cholera due to poor sanitation.
For instance, the public toilets at Centenary Park on Jinja Road have been closed for over a year, forcing people to resort to unsanitary alternatives like hedges, trenches, and improvised solutions.
Food vendor Lilian Mpirirwe at Centenary Park has faced disruptions due to people using her cooking area as a toilet.
At Kamwokya, a public toilet near the market was closed for eight months, causing residents to use makeshift facilities or pay for private ones. After its reopening, KCCA hired Avensky Ventures Ltd to maintain hygiene, but issues with misuse persist.
Other KCCA toilets, such as those on Entebbe Road and Bombo Road, are also in poor condition. The closure of these facilities forces men and women to share the same space, raising safety concerns.
In early 2024, KCCA Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka commissioned 45 new toilets with the National Water and Sewerage Corporation. However, many remain closed, causing significant inconvenience.
KCCA Deputy Executive Director David Luyimbazi attributes delays to contractor issues, particularly at City Square, where renovations have taken over a year.
He assures that most of the city’s 760 public toilets are functional, with ongoing efforts to improve sanitation services in partnership with various organizations.
“The process of securing sanitation facilities for the entire city is ongoing. We aim to provide free access to toilets through subsidized projects and partnerships,” Luyimbazi says.
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