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The tragic August 10 garbage slide in Kiteezi, claimed 35 lives, injured 18, and left 11 people missing
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By Our Reporter
The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has acquired 200 acres of land in Bujuuko, along Mityana Road in Wakiso district, to establish a new dumpsite for Kampala’s garbage. The announcement was made by Minsa Kabanda, the Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, during an interview on Wednesday.
“We acquired new land in Bujuuko, and we are in the final stages of paying off the landowner,” Kabanda revealed, adding that payment would be finalized before the end of the week.
This development comes after the tragic August 10 garbage slide in Kiteezi, which claimed 35 lives, injured 18, and left 11 people missing.
A history of warnings ignored
While heavy rains were cited by Police as the primary cause of the garbage slide, experts have pointed to long-standing mismanagement. Environmentalists and engineers argue that the Kiteezi dump site should have been decommissioned in 2016.
Documents from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) reveal repeated warnings to KCCA, starting in 2013, about the dangers of continuing operations at Kiteezi without a license. A 2016 waste slide had already compromised the dump’s integrity, yet no action was taken.
Compensation delays and residents' plight
The tragedy displaced approximately 280 residents living within a 200-meter radius of the dumpsite. Many were temporarily housed in tents at Kiteezi Church of Uganda Primary School. However, Joshua Ariho, a resident who lost his wife and son in the slide, said most people have returned to their homes due to delayed compensation.
“At the time we were asked to leave, the area was flooded with leachate from the garbage,” Ariho said, appealing to the government to expedite the compensation process. KCCA has since created drainage channels to mitigate flooding.
Minister Kabanda explained that compensation awaits a valuation report from the Government Chief Valuer. “We have two categories of affected people: those whose homes were buried under the garbage and those whose houses were demolished during rescue operations,” Kabanda said, noting that payments would begin once valuations are complete.
After Kiteezi disaster some had shifted garbage to Nkumba before KCCA secured another land in Bujuuko
Decommissioning Kiteezi and new plans
In the wake of the tragedy, the government has considered multiple proposals for Kiteezi's future. On October 8, the landfill was handed over to the Jospong Group of Companies, a Ghanaian firm tasked with building a recycling plant and creating up to 300,000 jobs. Jospong’s CEO, Joseph Siaw Agyepong, said the facility, expected to process 2,000 tonnes of waste daily, would be operational by March 2025.
However, the deal faced scrutiny from Inspector General of Government (IGG) Beti Kamya, who flagged irregularities, citing that Jospong was awarded the contract without an open bidding process as required by the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDA) Act. Despite the concerns, Minister Kabanda affirmed that Jospong’s appointment was government-approved and pending contract execution.
Delayed waste-to-energy projects
Kiteezi’s potential for renewable energy generation remains untapped. In 2029, RIC Sun Investment expressed interest in converting waste to energy but faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the company re-engaged KCCA in 2023 and received approval to construct a plant in Ddundu, Mukono district, progress has stalled. Rajesh Chugh, CEO of RIC Sun, revealed that the company committed $200 million (UGX 733 billion) to the project and has already invested $2 million in preliminary work. “We agreed to sell energy at 15 cents per kilowatt-hour, but clearance issues have delayed the project,” he said, adding that the company has sought intervention from President Museveni.
Leadership shake-up and accountability
The Kiteezi tragedy also triggered leadership changes at KCCA. In September, President Museveni dismissed Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka, her deputy David Luyimbazi, and Public Health Director Dr. Daniel Okello, citing mismanagement. On October 18, the trio was charged with 57 counts, including manslaughter, and remanded until November 4. They were later released on a UGX 5 million cash bail. The interim KCCA leadership, led by Frank Rusa as Acting Executive Director, has pledged to address the city’s waste management crisis.
Moving forward
As KCCA prepares to transition waste management to the new Bujuuko site, experts and residents alike stress the need for sustainable practices and accountability to prevent future tragedies. With new recycling and energy projects in the pipeline, Kampala has an opportunity to turn its waste crisis into a model for innovation and environmental stewardship.
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