A statue with Juba City Council inscription at a roundabout. (Photo: Courtesy).

Juba City Council’s deputy mayor for Infrastructure and Environment Juma Moses Michael decried lack of city police to enforce cleanliness by-laws, as he advised Juba residents against rampant littering and open urination.

Mr. Juma, who give the statement during an inspection visit to the Al-Jazeera Bridge in Juba on Monday, urged residents to take responsibility in keeping Juba clean.

He emphasized that random waste dumping and open urination are punishable offenses under the city laws.

He encouraged both residents and relevant authorities to work together to tackle public hygiene issues and ensure a cleaner, healthier environment for all.

“I want to tell you people that it is our collective responsibility to ensure that we don’t dump anyhow. We don’t bring our garbage to roadside. We don’t litter around,” he said.

“We have got penalties for that and it is punishable by law. So only let these residents that brings and put and they disappear, these are the ones that are trying to make our work very difficult.”

“Regarding these people who come and urinate in open spaces again, it is it is punishable by law and the biggest challenge that we have is that we don’t have city police to ensure that we do patrols all the times, to ensure that these culprits are got immediately. So that is the biggest challenge.”

In recent years photos showing people urinating against walls and fences as well as other structures in the city, have trended on social media and prompted condemnation from the municipal authorities.

Previous mayors have also pleaded with Juba residents to observe proper hygiene.

In September 2022, former Juba Mayor Michael Ladu Allah-Jabu issued penalties against individuals randomly throwing plastic bottles or depositing garbage on the streets.

The order imposed a fine of 200,000 South Sudanese pounds on any one found dumping waste along the roads and business premises in the town. It is not clear if the order still stands.

The World Bank said 8.2 million South Sudanese practice open defecation while more than 6 million more do not have access to clean drinking water supply.

Also in 2016, the non-governmental organization WaterAid, said more than 93 percent of South Sudanese lacked access to an improved toilet.