By Alex Baite
It was a disaster waiting to happen. Scores died, and many were unaccounted for in August 2024. The responsibility lay squarely with the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
Following the disaster, there were few mitigations on the 36-acre (14-hectare) Kiteezi landfill, which elicited a national investigation, prosecution and dismissals.
One year later, is there a silver lining to the Kiteezi landfill crisis? There is a reason to be optimistic, according to KCCA Executive Director Hajjati Sharifah Buzeki.
She says that the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has secured a US$1 million grant from the Government of Japan through UN-Habitat to address urgent environmental and safety risks by decommissioning the Kiteezi landfill in a bid to modernise the city’s waste management system and infrastructure.
While addressing the media in Kampala on Monday (August 4, 2025) about KCCA’s 2024/2025 Financial Year Accountability, Buzeki described the intervention as one of the city’s biggest victories in the past year.
She said the funds will be used to mitigate immediate hazards posed by the landfill, particularly the risk of gas emissions, leachate contamination, and steep unstable slopes.
The initial response will focus on seven acres of the site, with drainage improvements aimed at protecting nearby communities.
She explained that KCCA has also secured 230 hectares of land in Buyala, where it plans to build a state-of-the-art waste management and resource recovery facility.
“This facility will be a game-changer for Kampala, moving the city away from reactive garbage dumping towards a holistic approach that includes waste reduction, recycling, energy conversion, and safe final disposal. “Waste management must begin at the point of generation and not just focus on final disposal,” she emphasised.
In relation to the aftermath of the August 10th 2024 garbage slide at Kiteezi, which displaced 142 households, Buzeki said that a multi-agency response led by KCCA and the Office of the Prime Minister has resulted in the compensation of 18 households so far. Valuation of additional affected properties is underway, with UGX 2.14 billion already allocated for this purpose.
She revealed that structural assessments have been completed for 70 more households, while undeveloped plots are also being evaluated by the Chief Government Valuer. According to KCCA, eight undeveloped land parcels affected and identified by the Chief Government Valuer will also be included in the next valuation.
Records indicate that more than 30 people died in the August 10th, 2024, tragedy. The former KCCA Executive Director, Dorothy Kisaka, and her deputy, David Luyimbazi, have since faced prosecution in relation to charges like manslaughter and negligence, which led to the loss of lives that state prosecutors believe would have been preventable.
As such, KCCA has launched city-wide cleanup campaigns, held every weekend across various parishes, and initiated community sensitisation efforts to teach residents how to sort and recycle garbage. Enforcement teams have also been deployed to arrest individuals involved in illegal dumping. Buzeki appealed to the media and the public to take personal responsibility for maintaining cleanliness, urging residents to dispose of waste properly or keep it until a bin is found.
To support cleaning efforts, KCCA has contracted organised community groups, particularly from vulnerable city populations, to clean roads and public spaces. These groups operate under community and youth circles, and KCCA is committed to ensuring their payment and welfare.