The Role of Legal Compliance on Solid Waste Management Practices among Stakeholders in the City of Kigali: A Case Study of Nyabugogo Area, Nyarugenge District

Résumé fourni par la source

Rapid urbanisation and commercial expansion in African cities have intensified solid waste management (SWM) pressures, and Rwanda, despite a comprehensive environmental legal framework, continues to experience implementation gaps in high-density commercial zones such as Nyabugogo in the City of Kigali. The main objective of the study was to examine the role of legal compliance on SWM practices among stakeholders in the Nyabugogo area, Nyarugenge District, specifically by (i) analysing the level of compliance with SWM legal requirements among waste generators and service providers, (ii) evaluating prevailing SWM practices, and (iii) determining the relationship between legal compliance and SWM practices. A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was applied, combining a structured questionnaire administered to 404 stakeholders selected through proportional stratified sampling across the Kimisagara, Muhima, and Gitega sectors, with semi-structured key-informant interviews. Quantitative data were analysed in SPSS (version 29) using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression. Legal compliance was moderate overall (composite mean = 3.45 on a five-point scale), with infrastructure and service coverage gaps evident: 71.8% of respondents accessed authorised collection services, 49.0% lacked public waste bins, and only 32.9% owned private storage containers. Multiple regression confirmed that seven compliance indicators jointly and significantly predicted SWM practices (R = 0.743, R² = 0.552, F (7,395) = 188.244, p < 0.001), with enforcement perception as the strongest predictor (β = 0.431, p < 0.001), followed by awareness of legal provisions (β = 0.198, p < 0.001) and environmental attitudes (β = 0.152, p < 0.001). Legal compliance significantly and positively shapes SWM outcomes in Nyabugogo, but enforcement visibility, institutional outreach, and infrastructure provision remain the binding constraints rather than legal design itself. Practical implications: The findings support a three-pillar Integrated Compliance Improvement Framework- enforcement intensification, institutional engagement enhancement, and infrastructure provision- that can guide REMA, the City of Kigali, district and sector authorities, and private waste operators in strengthening SWM compliance in Nyabugogo and comparable African urban commercial hubs.