By Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) received temporary relief yesterday when Katabi Town Council authorized the use of the Nkumba-Bukolwa landfill after the Kiteezi waste dump site collapsed over the weekend.
This agreement came after a challenging negotiation. On Monday, officials from Entebbe Municipal Council, the authority overseeing the 14-acre landfill, initially turned away City Hall trucks loaded with waste at the Katabi solid waste disposal facility.
The removal and management of the 2,500 tonnes of garbage generated daily in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, became precarious following the collapse of large sections of the Kiteezi dumpsite in Wakiso District. The site, which had already exceeded its capacity, experienced a structural failure years after it should have been closed.
Investigators, appointed by President Museveni, are examining whether the collapse was accidental or due to criminal negligence. The President has demanded explanations for who authorized the nearby settlements around the landfill. The search and rescue efforts have halted further garbage disposal at Kiteezi, while residents opposed KCCA’s plans to use either the Nkumba-Bukolwa landfill or the 135-acre vacant land in Ddundu, Mukono District, purchased by KCCA in 2016.
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago confirmed yesterday that KCCA had reached an agreement with Katabi Town Council to use the landfill there for a month while seeking long-term solutions.
“We are scheduled to meet tomorrow to resolve all the issues and implement appropriate measures as per the conditions set by Katabi Town Council’s leadership,” he said.
Katabi Mayor Ronald Kalema stated that the conditions include KCCA expanding and maintaining the roads leading to the landfill and enlarging the dumpsite to increase its waste intake capacity.
“We agreed that garbage trucks will take a different route, branching off at Kasenyi Road stage instead of Nkumba University stage, and exiting through the Nkumba-Bwaise route to connect to the Kampala-Entebbe highway at Nkumba stage,” Mayor Kalema explained.
Mayor Kalema also mentioned that they have arranged for a water bowser truck to dampen the dirt road and reduce dust along the garbage trucks’ path. Additionally, more bulldozers and excavators will be deployed to compact and level the garbage to prevent a towering pile, like the one that collapsed in Kiteezi on Saturday.
KCCA’s director of legal affairs, Frank Rusa, acknowledged the challenges the authority faces in managing the city’s waste crisis.
“Where is the budget line for a national solid waste management treatment centre? There was considerable discussion around this, and the lack of clarity is concerning. Managing such a large-scale facility cannot be left solely to KCCA,” he noted.
Rusa’s concerns highlight the difficulties cities and municipalities face in managing urban waste, particularly when they generate more waste than they can safely dispose of. For instance, the government informed Parliament yesterday that it is seeking Shs200 billion to construct an environmentally-friendly facility at Ddundu in Mukono to convert solid waste into electricity, a common practice in several countries, including neighboring Rwanda.
While KCCA owns an additional four acres of land at Kiteezi, Rusa ruled out using it for further dumping due to the public outcry following the site’s collapse.
“Although there are four acres available, we do not intend to use them for additional dumping. We are focusing on reducing the height of the existing waste pile based on technical advice, so using that land for further development is not an option,” he stated.
City Hall is under increased scrutiny after revelations that it failed to act on its internal assessments, which had condemned the continued use of the Kiteezi landfill due to structural issues and overcapacity.
Lord Mayor Lukwago, along with other lawyers consulted by this newspaper, suggested that the deaths caused by the landfill’s collapse are attributable to KCCA officials who should be held criminally responsible for their negligence.
In their defense, KCCA technocrats, led by executive director Dorothy Kisaka, argued that their efforts to develop the Ddundu land have been hampered for eight years due to local opposition, with some residents taking the matter to court. A final judgment is still pending.
KCCA also acquired land at Nakawuka in Entebbe for garbage disposal, but a crisis meeting at City Hall revealed that it had been heavily encroached upon.
Although KCCA secured an agreement to dump the city’s waste in Entebbe’s Katabi area, residents of Nansana rejected a third option to dispose of the solid waste from the city in Menvu, Wakiso District. Nansana Municipality Mayor Regina Bakitte, who bought the land for a recycling plant using property tax funds, vowed not to allow KCCA trucks on the site.
“I purchased that land to set up a long-term investment in a recycling plant, and we are seeking donors to fund the Shs5 billion project. Allowing access to our land without my consent is trespassing, and I could sue,” Mayor Bakitte warned.
Menvu resident Sam Mugabe emphasized that KCCA should seek alternatives instead of using Menvu.
“The land was acquired by two municipalities—Nansana and Kira—who promised us services before starting to use the land. The landlord also promised to provide us with land titles, a promise that remains unfulfilled after a decade,” Mugabe said.
Ashiraf Kigudde, another resident, mentioned that monitoring teams have been set up to ensure no trucks enter the dump site.
“All roads accessing the land have been blocked, and we will not allow anyone to tamper with our land before we receive the titles and other promised services,” he added.
Resident Suleiman Mpulunguse expressed concern that the area, which has long relied on contaminated water sources, was supposed to receive boreholes as part of the municipality’s plan to set up a recycling plant. The proposal to use Menvu as an alternative for Kiteezi’s waste is now being rejected by the community.
Ivan Kiggwe, a councillor representing Lugo Parish, confirmed that local leaders agreed to support the recycling plant but not to allow garbage dumping.
“On Monday, KCCA, along with ministers and Wakiso District leaders, visited the land, but it does not belong to them. We will not allow any waste dumping unless the Nansana Municipality Mayor leads the development,” Kiggwe insisted.
On the eastern side of the city, Ddundu residents in Mukono District also warned KCCA against using their land for waste management. Resident Sarah Nansubuga urged KCCA to develop Kiteezi or find another location.
“Improper waste disposal in our area will cause air pollution and contaminate the soil and water, which many communities rely on for drinking water,” Nansubuga said.
Area Vice Chairperson Emmanuel Kuteesa noted that five community wells in the proposed area serve three villages—Bamutakudde, Buntaba, and Ddundu. He suggested relocating affected families to the area instead of using it as a dumpsite.
Kyampisi LCIII Chairperson Jamir Iga announced plans to mobilize residents to block trucks from entering the area, while area MP Abudallah Kiwanuka advised Kampala leaders to find a different location for the landfill.
“We will not allow garbage to be dumped in this area, as it is densely populated,” MP Kiwanuka stated.
