By In a long-overdue move, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has announced a major step toward shutting down the dangerously overloaded Kiteezi landfill—Uganda’s largest and only official dumping ground—after a devastating landslide in August 2024 claimed 30 lives.
Newly appointed KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki confirmed that Shs 357 billion has been secured to begin decommissioning the landfill. The first Shs 3.5 billion (USD 1 million), a grant from the Government of Japan via UN-Habitat, is already being used to flatten massive garbage heaps and stabilize high-risk zones on the 39-acre site.
“We’ve begun decommissioning Kiteezi to prevent further tragedies. This is just the beginning,” Buzeki announced during a press briefing.
A Landfill Pushed to the Brink
Kiteezi, located in Wakiso District, has long been a ticking time bomb. Built for a much smaller population, it now struggles to manage 1,500 to 2,000 tonnes of waste every day from nearly 4 million Kampala residents—with virtually no recycling infrastructure in place.
The landfill has been full for years. And yet, it continued to receive waste—until disaster struck.
When the Garbage Collapsed
In August 2024, relentless rains triggered a deadly landslide at the landfill. A massive garbage heap collapsed in the middle of the night, burying nearby homes and residents. At least 30 people lost their lives, according to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango.
Outrage over the tragedy was swift. So was the legal fallout.
Top KCCA Officials Arrested and Charged
By October, the scandal reached the highest levels of city leadership. Former KCCA Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka, her deputy David Luyimbazi, and former Director of Public Health and Environment Daniel Okello were arrested, charged, and sent to Luzira Prison.
They now face 57 criminal charges—including 35 counts of manslaughter—for failing to act on the known dangers of Kiteezi landfill.
Though they were later released on bail, public trust remains shaken.
A New Beginning in Buyala
But KCCA isn’t just cleaning up the mess—they’re planning for the future.
Buzeki revealed that the Authority has secured a 230-hectare site in Buyala, Mpigi, where a modern Integrated Waste Management and Resource Recovery Facility will be developed. This new mega-site promises to be a game-changer in how Kampala handles its waste—featuring advanced recycling, energy recovery, and zero-waste technology.
“This is our turning point,” Buzeki said. “The crisis at Kiteezi is finally forcing us to reimagine Kampala’s waste future.”
The End of Kiteezi. The Start of Accountability.
The decommissioning of Kiteezi marks more than just the closure of a landfill—it’s the start of a reckoning with years of mismanagement, neglect, and environmental abuse.
It’s also a chance for Kampala to rise from the rubble—cleaner, safer, and more sustainable than before.
