How Semukoteka Is Contributing to Easing Kampala’s Sewage Crisis

Kampala’s sewage problem is no secret. With the city’s sewerage network covering only about 10 percent, sanitation challenges continue to plague many neighbourhoods. For Abubaker Semukoteka, this crisis became a personal call to action.

In 2018, he founded Brilliant Sanitation Limited with a clear mission: to provide accessible, safe, and affordable sanitation services to underserved communities across Kampala and beyond.

A Childhood Shaped by Sanitation Struggles

Growing up in Kasubi, Kampala, Semukoteka witnessed the harsh realities of poor sanitation. In a neighbourhood of about 20 households, residents shared just one pit latrine.

“When the latrine was full, you had to raise bricks to use it because there was no one to empty it,” he recalls.

The first latrine he ever emptied was his own family’s. That experience planted a lifelong vision.

“If I can manage to solve this problem, that would be one of my biggest achievements,” he says.

Discovering a Better Way

In 2014, while working as a pickup truck driver at Kasubi Stage, Semukoteka encountered training by Water for People on using a gulper machine — an innovative technology for emptying pit latrines inaccessible to conventional cesspool trucks.

Traditional trucks struggled with debris such as soil, clothes, and diapers. The gulper method offered a safer, more practical alternative.

Semukoteka learned the trade using Water for People’s tools and began emptying latrines in underserved communities.

“People would unblock latrines during the rainy season to let waste flow away, or dig pits to bury sludge,” he recalls.

From Skill to Enterprise

As demand grew, Semukoteka realised sanitation services were both essential and viable as a business. By 2016, he had gained experience managing different toilet systems, handling clients, and navigating government processes.

“I learned how to talk to clients, how to work with government, registration — I learned everything,” he says.

This foundation led to the formal registration of Brilliant Sanitation Limited in 2018.

Starting with the Basics

To launch the business, Semukoteka invested in essential equipment:

• Five 140-litre drums at Shs80,000 each
• One hook at Shs150,000
• One gulper machine at about Shs750,000
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Using the gulper system, he charges Shs20,000 per drum, while cesspool truck trips range between Shs100,000 and Shs200,000. Disposal fees at the Lubigi treatment plant range from Shs3,500 to Shs20,000.

Today, Brilliant Sanitation operates four trucks — two in Kampala, one in Masaka, and one in Fort Portal.

Growth Through Support and Sacrifice

Semukoteka participated in the East African Sanitation Accelerator, winning grants that enabled the opening of additional branches.

However, rapid growth soon required financing. In 2019, he secured a Shs32 million loan from Post Bank to purchase a cesspool truck — a decision that would test his resilience.

With interest rates at 24 percent per annum and limited collateral, the loan came with immense pressure. Matters worsened when the Covid-19 pandemic halted operations.

“We had just bought the truck, clients were grounded, and yet we had to pay back the loan,” he recalls.

Although the bank allowed a repayment pause, Semukoteka later discovered alleged loan recalculations that erased earlier payments. To settle the debt, he was forced to sell personal property, including land.

Taking Sanitation to the People

Despite the demand, marketing sanitation services remains challenging due to limited public awareness.

Brilliant Sanitation uses:

• Door-to-door outreach
• Branded trucks
• Local radio advertising
• Social media and a company website

Semukoteka admits more structured marketing strategies are still needed to educate communities on proper sanitation solutions.

Creating Jobs and Structure

Today, Brilliant Sanitation employs about 45 people, including sales agents, operators, drivers, and managers. The head office is located at Masanafu–Sentema Road, Kampala, with branches in Masaka and Fort Portal.

Recruitment is competitive and merit-based.

“We select people based on what they can add to the company, not friendship or connections,” he emphasises.

Regulatory and Operational Challenges

Operating legally in sanitation requires multiple licences from URA, KCCA, NEMA, and district authorities — each with separate fees and procedures.

“You pay URA, KCCA, NEMA, and still need district recommendations. Yet we are helping government,” he says.

High operational costs — including fuel, labour, PPE, and medical care — further strain the business.

Triumphs and Trials

Buying his first cesspool truck in 2019 remains Semukoteka’s proudest moment. Conversely, the financial strain and loan repayment struggles remain his most painful memories.

A Vision for the Future

From humble beginnings, Brilliant Sanitation Limited has grown into one of Uganda’s leading sanitation service providers. Semukoteka’s ambition is bold: to make sanitation services affordable and available in every city.

“We want to acquire more equipment and develop innovative models that ease the burden on institutions when toilets are full,” he says.