Kampala sets up 100 air quality monitors as Harare seeks lessons on combating urban pollution

The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has established a network of more than 100 air quality monitoring stations across the city to track pollution levels and guide evidence-based public health interventions aimed at protecting residents.

The initiative, which began in 2018, forms part of a broader strategy by the city administration to generate local environmental data, integrate air quality considerations into urban planning, and mitigate the growing health risks associated with rapid urbanization.
Dr. Sarah Zalwango, the KCCA Director of Public Health and Environment, explained that the monitoring network serves as a foundation for informed decision-making and cross-sector collaboration across the metropolitan area.

"The authority had established the monitoring network since 2018 to generate data that informs decisions on air pollution management," Dr. Zalwango said. "The authority is working with government agencies, academic institutions, development partners, and communities to raise public awareness and integrate air quality considerations into urban planning."
She added that KCCA’s interventions extend to structural reforms in transport and environmental conservation.

"We recognize that clean air, green spaces, and healthy cities are closely interconnected," Dr. Zalwango noted, highlighting ongoing efforts to promote cleaner transport options, urban greening, and grassroots environmental stewardship. "Community participation is important in environmental protection, and KCCA is using awareness campaigns to encourage residents to take an active role in improving air quality."

Kampala’s data-driven approach to pollution control has drawn interest from municipal authorities across the continent. On Monday, a delegation of officials from Harare, Zimbabwe, visited Kampala under the global Partnership for Healthy Cities initiative to study the city’s air monitoring framework and learn how local findings are translated into municipal policy.
Mr. Richard Chigerwe, Harare’s Head of Health Services Planning, who led the Zimbabwean delegation, stated that Harare is preparing to establish a similar network to address its own mounting environmental pressures, which include industrial emissions, vehicular exhaust, and widespread charcoal burning during power outages.

"We need a strong air quality monitoring system that will give us evidence and help us strengthen our legislative framework," Mr. Chigerwe said. "We want to understand how Kampala collects air quality data, uses it to inform decisions, and engages communities in environmental protection."

Mr. Chigerwe added that Harare intends to share its own operational strategies on municipal waste management, emphasizing that technical cooperation between African cities offers practical solutions to shared urban challenges.

Addressing the delegation, KCCA Deputy Executive Director Benon Kigenyi observed that Kampala’s rapid demographic expansion continues to strain urban infrastructure, directly worsening traffic congestion and air quality.
"The city’s population rises from about 1.7 million residents at night to approximately 3.5 million during the day, increasing demand for transport and contributing to traffic congestion," Mr. Kigenyi said. "The congestion, alongside other urban activities, raises concerns about air quality and public health, making monitoring and evidence-based planning increasingly important."

Mr. Kigenyi commended the Partnership for Healthy Cities for fostering peer-to-peer municipal learning, confirming that the exchange with Harare includes field visits and technical assessments.

"Kampala will continue sharing its experiences with visiting officials and learning from other cities to strengthen its environmental management approaches," Mr. Kigenyi said, emphasizing that collaborative benchmarking allows municipalities to adapt tested, practical solutions to their specific local environments.