KAMPALA, Uganda — The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has allocated UGX 50 million in the 2026/27 financial year to combat the growing bedbug infestation affecting several informal settlements across Kampala.
The funding will be used to procure insecticides for a citywide spraying campaign targeting some of the worst affected communities.
The announcement was made during the weekly Weyonje community clean up exercise held on Saturday in Kawempe One Parish and led by KCCA Executive Director Hajat Sharifah Buzeki. The initiative promotes proper sanitation, solid waste management, and waste sorting at source.
KCCA Director of Public Health Dr. Sarah Zalwango said the authority already has fumigation equipment and will deploy spraying teams across all five divisions of Kampala. She identified Kirokole Zone in Kawempe as one of the areas hardest hit by the infestation.
Residents and local leaders welcomed the intervention, saying the bedbug outbreak has caused sleepless nights, discomfort, and social stigma for many families.
Henry Mpiima, the Patriotic League of Uganda coordinator for Kawempe, said volunteers have been carrying out community fumigation under the Bulungi Bwansi initiative, but the infestation has spread beyond what local efforts can manage.
Joseph Kibuga, the LC I chairperson of Kirokole, Kawempe Division councillor, and deputy mayor, said many residents quietly endure the problem because they are embarrassed to seek help.
“The number of people coming to me for fumigation chemicals shows how bad it is,” Kibuga said.
He attributed the increase in bedbugs to poor sanitation, overcrowded housing, inadequate ventilation, and irregular garbage collection.
Bedbug infestations have remained a recurring public health challenge in parts of Kampala, particularly in densely populated, low income communities where second hand furniture, shared bedding, and limited access to pest control contribute to their spread.
Buzeki directed local leaders to compile lists of the most affected areas to ensure the spraying campaign reaches communities with the greatest need. She also urged residents to maintain household cleanliness to reduce the spread of bedbugs and other pests, including cockroaches, while warning that KCCA will continue enforcing laws against illegal waste dumping.
The bedbug campaign is part of KCCA’s broader sanitation and public health drive.
Responding to concerns over waste collection, Buzeki said the authority currently operates only 34 garbage trucks across the city but expects to acquire five more after Parliament approved funding in the current financial year.
She also addressed drainage concerns, noting that President Yoweri Museveni recently directed the Ministry of Finance to support Kampala’s drainage improvement plan, with works expected on major drainage channels, including Lubigi and Nalukolongo.
In addition, Buzeki encouraged street vendors displaced during previous enforcement operations to relocate to designated markets as KCCA explores options for expanding market space.
Although bedbugs do not transmit diseases, health experts say their bites can cause skin irritation, allergic reactions, sleep disruption, and psychological distress. Effective control requires a combination of chemical treatment, improved sanitation, decluttering, and sustained community awareness.
KCCA has called on residents to cooperate with fumigation teams and maintain clean homes and surroundings to prevent reinfestation as the spraying exercise begins in the coming weeks.
