Municipal Solid Waste Management in Arusha City, Tanzania: Involvement of the Private Companies and Community-Based Organisations.
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2011-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Amidst rapid urbanisation going on in developing world cities, majority of the cities have moved
ji-om govemment monopoly in direct urban services delivelY toward privatisatiol1. The purpose
of this study was to explore involvement of the private companies and Community-Based
Organisations (CBOs) in municipal household solid waste management in Arusha municipality,
Tanzania. Further the study analyse stakeholders involved, explores household solid waste
system, assess privatisation outcomes, compares service delivered by private companies and
CBOs with households ' satisfaction levels, and identify key challenges in waste management.
J employed purely qualitative approach for the study. PrimC/ly data were collected through semistructured
interviews with private companies, CBOs and households; key iliformant interviews,
iliforlllal interviews, and direct observation and photographing. Various secondC/ly sources were
also incorporated. An actor-oriented approach and stakeholders' analysis were the main
theories that underpin the study.
Results show that solid waste was privatised following government's gross failures in service
delively. Implementation of the Sustainable Cities Programme marked the shift ji'Olll govemment
monopoly to non-state actors in service delively. Private companies are involved through
competitive bidding and tendering at the municipality, while CBOs enters into service contracts
with ward administration but with an approval ji-om the municipality. MuniCipal household solid
waste management is broadly under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) system ' whereby
govemment owns the service but under private sector and civil society led provision.
Stakeholders involved are diversified, have different motives and peljorms different roles.
Asymmetrical power relations, huild and use of manipulations at all levels are common features
among actors.
Privatisation outcomes in the municipality are mixed. There are places which have experienced
increased waste collection efficiency and widened coverage, elimination of the illegal minidumps,
and consolidation of the iliformal sector. CBOs have managed to extend service to the
inaccessible peri-urban settlements by using combination of the lIIotorised and non-Illotorised
movements in waste collection and transportation. Low-income areas in particular are
experiencing privatisation deceptions whereby contractors exist by names only not in practice,
or there is no any considerable change in the state of sanitation. Service variations between
private companies and CBOs revolve around service areas and service itself, waste collection
systems and transportation modalities, and user fee rates. Majority of the interviewed service
users are not satisfied with the service. Unsatisfied users are predominantly served by CBOs.
Reasons for customers' satisfaction or dissatisfaction are ji-equency and waste collection
schedule consistencies, user charge rates, state of sanitation in the neighbourhood, and kind of
language used by waste or revenue collectors. The state of physical inji-astructures, contractors '
capacity and households' socio-economic statlls are highly influential on service variations.
Major challenges are within the realm of govemance failures, socia-cultural, economic issues,
and inji-astrllctures and city planning; suggesting that all actors must come together for longterm
major changes, and organisational and institutional set-lip ji-om down to up.
Key word5: CBOs, Municipal household solid waste, Private companies, Privatisation
Description
Keywords
CBOs, Municipal household solid waste, Private companies, Privatisation