Uganda launches e-waste management initiative during National Cleaning Day

UGANDA – Uganda has launched an electronic waste management initiative in November 2026 to promote responsible disposal and recycling of electronic waste, protect public health and create opportunities for young people and businesses.

The initiative was officially launched by Justine Kasule Lumumba, Minister of ICT and National Guidance, during the fourth National Cleaning Day in Lira City. 

The programme brings e-waste management into the National Cleaning Days, encouraging Ugandans to take greater responsibility for how they dispose of electronic equipment and promoting environmentally responsible recycling practices. 

By embedding e-waste collection into existing community cleaning activities, the government aims to build habitual participation rather than relying on periodic awareness campaigns alone.

Digital Growth Linked to Environmental Protection

Speaking at the launch, Lumumba emphasised the importance of ensuring that the country’s digital development was accompanied by environmental protection. 

She called on Ugandans to take responsibility for electronic waste disposal, stressing the need to ensure that Uganda’s digital progress went hand in hand with a cleaner, healthier environment. 

Her remarks reflect growing recognition that expanding digital access generates mounting volumes of discarded devices, cables and components that require structured recovery systems.

Recovery Sector Offers Youth and Business Opportunities

The initiative is expected to support efforts to protect the environment and safeguard public health while creating opportunities for young people and businesses through responsible e-waste management and recycling. 

Discarded electronics contain valuable metals including copper, aluminium and gold, alongside hazardous materials such as lead, mercury and battery chemicals. 

Formal recovery operations can extract usable materials while preventing toxic substances from contaminating soil and water, creating employment across collection, dismantling, sorting and processing stages.

Formalisation Addresses Informal Processing Risks

Integrating e-waste management into National Cleaning Days represents an effort to encourage greater public participation as Uganda continues its digital transformation. 

Much electronic waste in East Africa currently flows through informal channels where dismantling occurs without protective equipment or environmental controls, exposing workers and surrounding communities to health risks. 

Government-backed collection events can channel material toward licensed processors, improving safety standards while capturing recoverable value that would otherwise be lost.

For Uganda’s recycling sector, sustained participation will depend on maintaining collection infrastructure, ensuring processors can handle incoming volumes, and developing markets for recovered materials that justify continued investment.

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