Assessing waste management services in Kigali

Policy brief 15 Jan 2020 Cities

Authors

Kigali’s rapid population and economic growth over the last two decades has meant a steady increase in the amount of Municipal solid waste.
Despite laudable efforts by the city to deal with issues related to waste management, it is unclear whether the waste collection system will be able to simultaneously increase service quality and deal with future waste generation.
This study examines the waste management in Kigali using a “systems view,” with the aim of better understanding and addressing bottlenecks and potential issues in waste generation, waste collection, waste disposal, and waste beneficiation.
The findings of this study suggest that Kigali City is facing key shortcomings in a number of areas including: discrepancies in the number of households actually receiving waste collection services; issues with the way the current landfill is being managed; and hurdles to move from a linearly managed waste system to a circular economy, with a robust market for beneficiation.
The authors’ analysis suggests that the system can be strengthened by elevating the institutional prominence of Solid Waste Management and developing a comprehensive Integrated Waste Management Plan.