The Uganda Police have confirmed that of the 21 bodies recovered from the debris at the Kiteezi Landfill following a catastrophic collapse, seven remain unclaimed.
The deceased include Nasser, Nuwary Kironde, Sam Kajubi, Meddy Mubiru, Shamon Muhammed, Halima Nakalume, Mulikedete Phiona, a 3-month-old baby of Mukadete, Kasule James, Mukose Emmanuel, Grace (daughter of Anne Maria), Brenda Kawuki, Sharon (housemaid to Brenda), Kikambi Tiful, Jessa Nantege, Nalubega Easter, Whitney Nabulya (3 years old), Kawesa, Lwere Ronald (20 years), Kiyemba, and Kiyemba’s wife.
The number of victims from the disaster at Kampala’s only landfill site continues to rise as rescue efforts involving police, military and special forces progress.
The tragic incident happened on Saturday morning after weeks of torrential rain led to the collapse of a massive hill of garbage. The collapse buried and crushed over 12 homes on the outskirts of the site while some residents were sleeping.
Police spokesman Rusoke Kituuma stated on Monday that among the 21 confirmed fatalities, nine are female, four are juveniles, and 12 are male, with 17 being confirmed as adults. Fourteen bodies have been claimed by their families, while seven remain unclaimed.
In response, President Yoweri Museveni has ordered an investigation into the incident and directed the evacuation of all residents living near the Kiteezi landfill to prevent further tragedies.
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago stated that efforts to shift to a larger and more modern landfill were hampered by the central government’s failure to release the 50 billion shillings required for the decommissioning of the landfill.
“Before this catastrophe happened, we wanted to come up with a modern landfill, but unfortunately, we didn’t get enough support from the central government. The only option is to temporarily dump rubbish in Mukono land since dumping rubbish in Kiteezi has been halted. Kampala City is going to choke with waste,” Lukwago said.
Minister for Kampala Minsa Kabanda apologized for the incident, noting that it had been overlooked for several years due to financial constraints.
KCCA Deputy Executive Director David Luyimbazi attributed the landslide to the excessive buildup of waste and torrential rains. He mentioned that KCCA had recently acquired an additional four acres of land around the Kiteezi site for temporary dumping.
“The challenge we have had is the buildup of the hills of garbage reaching unsustainable levels, and when it rained, people who were very close to the landfill were affected by the landslide,” Luyimbazi explained.
Since 2015, KCCA has considered closing the current landfill and relocating it to a larger area covering 136 acres in the four villages of Ddundu, Kyabakkadde, Butaba, and Kuluyamuli in Mukono District. However, financial challenges and resistance from local communities have hindered the plan’s implementation.
KCCA spends a total of 4.1 billion shillings annually on maintenance and hiring equipment, including excavators, bulldozers, steel wheels, and employment at the landfill.
