15/09/2026
“JUBA CITY IS EXPERIENCING AN ACCUMULATION OF RUBBISH.”
By Ustaz Wek Mangook
Poor waste management and the accumulation of rubbish in Juba City cause severe environmental, health, and economic damage to urban areas, especially in Kuburaboba, another resident areas around in the city.
Healthy will be risks due to uncollected garbage breeding pests like rats and mosquitoes that spread dangerous illnesses such as cholera, malaria, dengue fever, and leptospirosis.
Residents of Kuburaboba, traders, and even people passing by the road suffer respiratory problems when rubbish is burned, as burning trash releases toxic gases and fine particulate matter that can cause lung and heart disease.
Solid waste management (SWM) remains a major societal and governance challenge in Juba city, especially in urban areas overwhelmed by rapid population growth and increased garbage generation. The role of SWM in achieving sustainable development is emphasized in several international development agendas.
For example, sustainable SWM can help meet several United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as ensuring clean water and sanitation, creating sustainable cities and inclusive communities, mitigating climate change, protecting life on land, and demonstrating sustainable consumption and production patterns.
The administration of Juba City Council in Central Equatoria State should not manage the collection of garbage since, in my observation, I don’t think the National Legislative Assembly is aware of the city's experience with rubbish, while the city mayor has been increasing the garbage fee every year, yet there is nothing can change in the city. Now, every corner in Juba city looks like a forest, especially Kuburaboba market, the place where I collect this information.
I wrote an article two years ago and published it in different media, including The DAWN newspaper. That article was concern Juba city mayor position being open to be voted on or shared by any residents of Juba, because the city mayor is typically open to any qualified resident of the city, rather than being restricted to a single state or specific political group.
In other countries, city residents have a right to contest or campaign for the position of “City Mayor,” and should be appointed for a period of 6 months to 2 years before the election, but it did not happen here in Juba; that’s why the rubbish will soon poison the people and burn the households at any time.
The Author is a South Sudanese Activist and is knocking on the “truth”
He can be reached at [email protected]
