Kiteezi landfill to be decommissioned after tragic collapse

Government is moving to decommission the Kiteezi landfill following its collapse and eventual death of over 23 persons.

The Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hon. Lillian Aber made this revelation while presenting a statement to the House chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa on Tuesday, 13 August 2024.

The Kiteezi landfill in Kasangati Town Council, Wakiso District has been the primary waste disposal site for Kampala since 1997 receiving 2,500 tonnes of waste daily.

Its collapse on 10 August 2024 has highlighted the need for a sustainable and safer waste management strategy.

Aber said that government will move to decommission the Kiteezi landfill citing the pressing need to prevent any further loss of life or environmental damage.

“The tragic events have underscored the critical vulnerabilities in our waste management system. As a result, the government has decided to fast-track the decommissioning of the Kiteezi landfill,” she said adding that, ‘a 200-meter buffer zone around the landfill has been preserved and we are flattening the garbage hill to stabilize the area as we phase out operations’.

She added that the government is actively pursuing alternative sites for waste disposal.  “We have identified potential sites in Menvu, Nansana and Busumamura in Kira Municipality,” Aber added

These sites, she noted, are expected to replace Kiteezi and help mitigate the impending waste crisis in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA).

The minister revealed that they are looking at adopting modern waste management practices.

“Our focus is on implementing incineration and recycling methods to ensure that waste disposal is sustainable and environmentally friendly. We are committed to transforming how we manage waste in Uganda to prevent such tragedies in the future,” Aber said.

Kyadondo East Member of Parliament, Hon. Muwada Nkunyingi said the tragedy was a disaster waiting to happen as earlier warnings had fallen on deaf ears.

Nkunyingi stated that there are reports of gas extraction at the landfill which may have caused the accident.

He added that it was disheartening to see people who were killed by the disaster being termed as land encroachers. He called for a comprehensive support to the people affected by the disaster.

The Minister for Kampala City and Metropolitan Affairs, Hon. Minsa Kabanda said it’s premature to talk about compensation when there are people believed to be still buried.

She disputed the information that gas was being extracted from Kiteezi.

Ora County MP, Hon. Lawrence Songa said that the Committee on Climate Change had earlier advised the city authority to fast-track the decommissioning of the landfill but that, no action was taken.

Songa said that they had recommended that investors be invited to turn the waste into gas, but this was not done. He also highlighted that Uganda loses over Shs1 trillion annually due to waste-related issues.

“What we have in Kitezi is a dumping site, it is not a landfill. I do not see any landfill in Uganda with full engineering technology, which we are not doing,” he said.

The Third Deputy Premier, Rt Hon. Rukia Nakadama said the emergency rescue programme is ongoing and will be expedited by mobilising equipment from different partners to ensure that light is availed for a 24-hour rescue mission.

Deputy Speaker Tayebwa said that initially Parliament would have put up a committee to investigate the matter but acknowledged that other processes were now ongoing. He said as the presiding officer, his focus is on the people who are still stuck in the landfill.