Urban households’ willingness to pay for improved solid waste management services in Kitwe Town Council, Ntungamo District

Abstract

This study investigated how the urban household‟s willingness influenced to pay for improved solid waste services in Kitwe Town Council of Ntungamo district. The purpose of this study was to assess the urban households‟ willingness to pay for improved solid waste management services received and in Kitwe Town Council. The objectives of the study included, to examine extent on how income levels, education levels, gender, quantity of solid waste and maximum daily charges affected willingness to pay for improved solid waste management services in KTC. The research employed multi stage sampling techniques to select one hundred sixty four households, five primary schools‟ head teachers, two secondary schools‟ head teachers, four eating houses‟ managers, two market tenderers, three medical clinics in- charges, three grains milling machines/factories‟ managers and two bakery managers from the study area. The Pearson Chi-square and linear ratio used estimated and revealed that the income (P=0.002) education (P=0.018) and amount of maximum charges paid (P=0.000) of the household head was significantly associated with the willingness to pay for solid waste management services. Other variables of gender (P=0.090) and quantity of solid waste generated (P=0.216) were not significantly associated with the willingness to pay for improved solid waste management services. The study concluded that dimensions of income levels, education levels and maximum charges paid influenced the willingness of respondents to pay for improved solid waste management services. The study recommended that Kitwe Town Council authorities should promote behavior change of mind set on perception of being poor to afford user charges and back yard agriculture using manure from solid waste in order to ensure minimization of solid waste generated by urban households. The study recommended further study in other sister Town Councils within Ntungamo district to produce comparable results.