3/10/2026
Keeping Lusaka Clean with Digital Waste Management.
By Kenneth KafunyaI volunteered as a Product (UX/UI) Designer on a civic tech project. Who's goal is to help communities report waste issues and keep Lusaka clean. The project is led by AgriPredict in collaboration with Lusaka Integrated Solid Waste Management Company (LISWMC).
Role: Product designer
Focus Areas: Encouraging real-time reporting of illegal dumping and overflowing bins.
Primary Metric: Reporting issues
CONTEXT
Lusaka faces ongoing waste management challenges, including delayed garbage collection and illegal dumping, which contribute to heavy pollution.
AgriPredict explored how a mobile platform could help keep the city clean by making it easier for communities to report waste issues while giving authorities better visibility across the city.
MY ROLE
I worked alongside two senior Android developers and contributed as the UX/UI designer.
Responsibilities included:
- Helping shape the product direction
- Designing two key user flows
- Creating the Figma design files
- Building a lightweight design system
THE PROBLEM
Research insights shared by the AgriPredict team highlighted a few challenges:
- Low citizen engagement in reporting issues
- Illegal dumping sites
- People often deal with waste issues across multiple locations (home, office, etc.)
Credit - Zambia Business Times
Credit - WanderMom
Credit - CMMB blog
KEY INSIGHTS
A few insights shaped the design:
- Reporting must be fast and simple
- Showing community activity encourages reporting
- Users interact with waste services in multiple locations
SOLUTIONS
Community Reporting Signals
The app shows how many people in a zone are reporting late garbage collection. When reports increase, authorities are alerted, helping them prioritize problem areas.
Report Waste Issues
Residents can report missed pickups, illegal dumping, overflowing trash, and custom issues. This helps authorities clearly see what the problem is and where it is happening, making it easier for them to respond and take action.
Garbage Collection Bill Payments
The app also allows residents to pay their garbage collection bills, making the platform useful beyond reporting issues.
Multiple Locations
Users can save locations like Home, office and rental property. This makes reporting issues faster and easier.
Community Reporting Signals
Report Waste Issues
Garbage Collection Bill Payments
Multiple Locations
OUTCOME
The redesign was well received by AgriPredict and aligned with their goal of improving citizen participation in waste management. The concept is currently awaiting feedback from LISWMC.
REFLECTION
This project reinforced an important lesson for me: impactful design isn’t always about building flashy products. Sometimes it’s about making everyday civic actions simple enough that people actually participate — By designing tools that help communities contribute to cleaner cities having a real impact on public health and quality of life.