Deadly Mboma Snake Found in Douala Garbage as #ChallengeDesOrdures Movement Slams Urban Decay

According to eyewitnesses, the reptile was found by sanitation workers from HYSACAM as they prepared to clear a makeshift dump. Residents were alerted when the workers recoiled in panic, prompting a community response that led to the snake being killed. The event has since gone viral, sparking both horror and outrage.

“This could have ended very badly. Children play around these dumps. What if it had attacked someone?” one resident told Cameroon Concord News.

The incident has added fuel to an online protest dubbed the #ChallengeDesOrdures, in which Cameroonians post photos of themselves standing in front of trash heaps, demanding accountability from authorities. The movement has gained momentum over the past week as frustration grows over the state of hygiene and waste management in cities like Douala, Yaoundé, Bafoussam, and Garoua.

A System in Decay

Environmental activists and public health experts say the issue has been building for years.

Blocked drainage systems, overflowing bins, and the absence of timely waste collection have turned urban neighborhoods into breeding grounds for disease and pests.

“The public health implications are enormous — cholera, malaria, respiratory infections, you name it,” said Dr. Georges Nsom, a health researcher based in Yaoundé.

This comes amid reports of rising cases of waterborne diseases in areas most affected by waste stagnation. In some communities, trash sits uncollected for weeks, creating a toxic mix of filth, foul odors, and now — it appears — venomous wildlife.

States General... and Skepticism

Coinciding with the public backlash, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, headed by Célestine Ketcha Courtès, has announced “États Généraux on Urban Waste Management”, scheduled for May 6-7, 2025, in Yaoundé.

The meeting is intended to bring together policymakers, sanitation companies, and civil society to devise solutions to the nation’s waste management crisis. However, critics have dismissed the event as cosmetic.

“We don’t need more conferences. We need action. We need trucks. We need clean streets,” said activist Carine Ndongo, who joined the #ChallengeDesOrdures campaign online.

Garbage as Protest

The viral challenge has become more than a meme — it’s a civic movement. With satire, shame, and social media, Cameroonians are confronting decades of poor urban planning and what they describe as chronic governmental neglect.

Some users have turned the challenge into art. Others have used it to list demands, such as more transparency in public sanitation budgets and better oversight of companies like HYSACAM.

“We live in trash, and now even snakes come out of it. What next?” one Twitter user posted alongside a selfie in front of a garbage pile.

Background: Waste Woes in Cameroon

Cameroon generates an estimated 6 million tons of waste annually, but experts say less than half is properly collected or disposed of. Waste management services suffer from poor funding, aging infrastructure, and a lack of political will.

The situation is particularly dire in Douala and Yaoundé, where rapid urbanization and population growth have overwhelmed municipal systems.

With rainy season approaching, residents worry that blocked drains and rotting trash will trigger floods and outbreaks of disease — a scenario that has played out repeatedly in previous years.

As Cameroon gears up for major political events, including the October presidential election, critics say the nation’s leadership is failing in its most basic duties.

“Clean cities are not a luxury. They’re a right,” said urban planning consultant Marie-Therese Ebang.

Meanwhile, the challenge continues — and the garbage remains.