Fecal Waste Management (FWM) in Mbarara Municipality, Uganda

Mbarara Municipality is located in the western region of Uganda, approximately 260 km from the capital city, Kampala. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of Mbarara District and hosts the district headquarters. According to the 2014 population and housing census, Mbarara Municipality had a total population of 195,160 inhabitants (UBOS, 2016) who are disproportionately distributed within its six divisions. This population increases by 20% during the day due to people who work in, but live outside the Municipality.

The African Population and Research Center (APHRC) carried out primary research as well as desk reviews to establish policy and practice around fecal waste management in the Municipality. In addition, it used World Bank tools, the Shit Flow Diagram (SFD) and the City Service Delivery Assessment (CSDA) to determine and illustrate the FS pathways from containment systems through collection and transportation to treatment and reuse/end-disposal; and to assess the quality of the enabling environment, the level of service delivery and commitment to service sustainability.