The directive, issued during a high profile meeting at the State House in Entebbe, will allow the Ghana-based company with “vast experience in waste and landfill management” will give an opportunity to begin decommissioning works at the landfill site.
A Press Release issued by the Communication Directorate of Zoomlion and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the Ugandan President, gave the directive when he met a delegation from the Jospong Group led by its Executive Chairman, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong.
The President expressed his unwavering confidence in the Jospong brand, praising its expertise in waste management, particularly in recycling and composting and emphasized that Jospong’s Integrated Recycling and Composting initiatives represented a bold and much-needed approach to tackling Africa’s long-standing waste management challenges.
President Museveni called for greater unity among African nations to pursue self-sufficiency in crucial sectors declaring that, “Africa must be a unified force, building its own capabilities and not relying on others for its development. Our self-reliance will drive our success,”
The meeting was attended by several high ranking officials of the Group, including Mrs. Florence Larbi, Chief Operating Officer of Jospong’s Environment and Sanitation (E&S) Cluster, Mr Haidar Said, Executive Director of E&S, and Mr Peter Dagadu, Project Lead for Zoomlion Uganda.
Also present at the meeting were key Ugandan government officials made up of the Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, Ms Minsa Kabanda, Minister for Kampala, Joseph Kyofatogabye Kabuye, and acting KCCA Executive Director, Frank Rusa.
The President’s directive follows reports of delays from KCCA officials over legal concerns surrounding the landfill handover.
Earlier in the week, Minister Kabanda had urged city authorities to proceed with the transfer of the site to Jospong, stressing the urgent need to engage the surrounding community and commence operations by March 2025.
Dr Joseph Agyepong expressed his profound gratitude to the Ugandan President for the warm reception accorded him and his team remarking that, this “signals Uganda’s commitment to address waste management challenges through strategic partnerships with African enterprises.” The Jospong Group’s involvement marks a pivotal moment in Uganda’s quest to modernize its waste infrastructure, given its track record of successful waste management projects across the continent.
This collaboration underscores a broader Pan-African vision that places African companies at the forefront of solving the continent’s environmental and development issues, creating a future where African ingenuity drives sustainable progress.
GNA