To keep the streets of Yaounde, the capital City of Cameroon clean, administrative and local elected authorities have imposed a fine of FCFA 25000 on anyone caught littering the streets or dumping household garbage in inappropriate places. The decision to impose a fine on those littering the streets of the capital city was the highpoint of a follow-up evaluation field trip undertaken by the administrative and local authorities of the Mfoundi Division on September 1, 2026. The field trip to evaluate the clearing of garbage on the streets of Yaounde was supervised by Naseri Paul Bea, Governor of the Centre Region, accompanied by Emmanuel Mariel Djikdent, Senior Divisional Officer for the Mfoundi, mayors and officials of HYSACAM and THYCHLOF, companies in charge of waste management in Yaounde.
The field trip to evaluate the effective clearing of garbage that had blocked some streets in Yaounde came on the heels of an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by the MINAT Boss, Atanga Nji Paul who called for a joint action to clean up Yaounde.
It is worthy to recall that on August 28, 2026 a joint meeting held at the Ministry of Territorial Administration that brought together the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, MINHDU, Célestine Kuetcha Courtes; the Minister of Decentralisation and Local Development, MINDDEVEL, Georges Elanga Obam ; and representative of the Ministry of Finance, MINFI. Also present were the Governor of the Centre Region, Naseri Paul Bea; the Senior Divisional Officer for Mfoundi, Emmanuel Mariel Djikdent; the seven Divisional Officers and Mayors of Mfoundi; and the Directors General of HYSACAM and THYCHLOP, the companies involved in household waste collection.
During the meeting, both parties and stakeholders scrutinized the current state of waste collection in the capital and the challenges facing the sector, as well as the contracts and financial situation of the companies responsible for waste collection. Minister Atanga Nji Paul expressed concerns over the accumulation of garbage in several neighborhoods of Yaounde, stating that some areas have remained for weeks and even months without proper waste collection. He recalled that Yaounde had previously been kept clean during major international events, stressing that such standards should be maintained on a permanent basis and not only when important personalities or visitors are expected. The Minister called on administrative authorities to help address operational difficulties, insisting that no part of the capital should be neglected. Regular field visits will be carried out to identify problem areas and ensure that appropriate measures were taken. While acknowledging the financial and operational difficulties affecting waste collection, Minister Atanga Nji Paul urged stakeholders to focus on results and avoid using challenges as excuses for inaction. “Yaoundé is the capital of Cameroon. We have the moral obligation and the duty to make Yaoundé a clean town,” the Minister said. The officials of MINAT, MINHDU, MINDDEVEL and MINFI visited several garbage dumps along roadsides where accumulated waste was obstructing roads and affecting traffic and public hygiene in Yaounde III and Yaounde VI Sub divisions.
