Former KCCA bosses granted bail over deadly kiteezi landfill disaster
Each of the accused was released on a cash bail of 5 million Ugandan shillings, while their sureties are required to execute a non-cash bond of 100 million shillings.
Court has granted bail to former top Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) officials Dorothy Kisaka, David Luyimbazi, and Daniel Okello, who face charges connected to the August 10 Kiteezi landfill disaster that tragically claimed 35 lives and injured 21 others.
Each of the accused was released on a cash bail of 5 million Ugandan shillings, while their sureties are required to execute a non-cash bond of 100 million shillings.
Additionally, the court has retained their original passports, and the officials are prohibited from traveling abroad without court authorization. The hearing is set to resume on November 26.
The high-profile arrests have drawn public debate, with media analyst Andrew Mwenda voicing strong criticism, suggesting that the arrests are more about appeasing public outrage than addressing the systemic issues behind the disaster.
Mwenda argues that the government’s longstanding neglect of waste management and infrastructure in Kampala is a significant factor in the tragedy.
KCCA had raised repeated warnings about the risks posed by the overloaded Kiteezi landfill, which has been operating beyond its capacity for years. The authority had sought funds to decommission the site, but these requests were reportedly overlooked, leaving critical waste management challenges unaddressed.