Kigali City Terminates Garbage Companies, Cooperatives Taking Over

Some of the sanitation companies operating in the city. They employees thousands who keep the city meticulously clean

Kigali City has reportedly terminated contracts with several sanitation companies and replaced them with newly formed youth cooperatives, sparking confusion and concern among affected workers and company owners.

CLICK HERE FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS ABOUT THIS STORY

Each the 35 sectors making up the city now has its own sanitation cooperative operating independently. However, workers say these cooperatives lack clear leadership, formal contracts, or proper management structures.

Many of the workers previously employed by private cleaning companies claim they were simply told to continue working under the new cooperatives—without knowing who they now report to.

Local media is reporting that it has visited street and roadside garden cleaners in Rugenge (Muhima Sector), Kimihurura (Gasabo), and Kanombe (Kicukiro). In all locations, we found workers idle, sitting or lying by the roadside.

They said they no longer have cleaning equipment, some borrow tools from residents, and collected garbage is left uncollected due to the absence of city garbage trucks.

“We used to have supervisors under private companies,” one worker said. “Now, we’re told to report to the sector executive secretary, but we haven’t signed any contracts and don’t know who will pay us. We’re basically managing ourselves.”

Waste is piling up in some parts of the city. In Rugenge, near the RURA office, garbage has accumulated in an open field.

In Kanombe, trash lines the entrance road near the airport. In Kimihurura, near a high-rise construction site, the stench is overwhelming.

Workers say they are powerless to address the situation without leadership or logistics support.

Some former contractors said the city terminated their contracts abruptly, without going through the usual process of contract renewal or opening tenders.

Worse still, many have not been paid for services rendered—some are owed six to eight months of arrears.

“We’re left with debts to pay: our workers, our banks. The city must pay what it owes us,” one contractor said.

The lack of oversight has led to irregular work habits. Some workers reportedly leave early or sleep on the job, and improperly disposed waste is creating unsanitary conditions in several neighborhoods.

Workers suspect the cooperatives may have been set up irregularly, potentially involving corruption, as some cooperative leaders are also sector officials.