This archive report was first published on 7 July 2021.
It's been a year since Kampala city was under lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. At that time, the city's air was the freshest and cleanest it had been in decades, with the sky a rich blue and the ground a vibrant green. The smell of plants and flowers filled the air, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden.
However, this year's lockdown has been far more permissive, with the government allowing inter-district movement and exempting the three districts that comprise Greater Kampala metropolis - Wakiso, Mukono, and Kampala City. This has led to a significant increase in the number of vehicles on the road, including old pickups that are spewing out black smoke and contributing to the city's pollution problem.
The government's decision to add Ush100 ($0.03) per litre of fuel has also led to a surge in fuel sales, with dealers adding an extra Ush200 ($0.06) to their prices. This has resulted in billions of shillings being raked in by fuel dealers, with no added value to the consumer or the government.
As a result, the city's residents are now facing a new wave of pollution, with the poisoning of Greater Kampala residents even worse than before. The city's roads are filled with old pickups, motorbikes, and other vehicles that are contributing to the city's pollution problem.
It's a far cry from last year's lockdown, when the city's air quality was at its purest state. The city's residents had registered a gain in respiratory health, with the number of respiratory-related deaths decreasing significantly. However, this year's lockdown has failed to achieve the same results, with the city's residents now facing a new wave of pollution.
