Clergy list five proposals to help Kiteezi survivors
His Grace Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, the chairperson of Inter-Religious Council of
Uganda (IRCU) and Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, hands over food donations from IRCU to people who were displaced by garbage slides in Kiteezi, Wakiso after the ecumenical prayers at the Kiteezi Primary School on August 19, 2024. PHOTO | STEPHEN OTAGE
What you need to know:
- These include providing psychosocial support and counseling and initiating special livelihood and housing projects for the disaster survivors.
The Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) has issued five key recommendations for the government to support families affected by the Kiteezi landfill collapse and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The IRCU, a national faith-based organisation that unites religious institutions to address common concerns, made these recommendations public yesterday during prayers for the survivors of the Kiteezi landfill disaster in Wakiso District.
“Government should promptly respond to the advice and warnings from technical and professional personnel, particularly from regulators like the National Environment Management Authority (Nema), to avoid such catastrophes,” His Eminence Metropolitan Jeronymos Muzeeyi, the co-chairperson of the IRCU Council of Presidents and Archbishop of the Uganda Orthodox Church, said.
He was addressing residents displaced by the landfill collapse, who are currently sheltering at the area’s football playgrounds.
Among the other recommendations, Archbishop Muzeeyi urged the government to provide psychosocial support and counselling for the disaster victims, initiate special livelihood and housing projects to ensure quick economic recovery and long-term community resilience, and begin reforming the national waste management policy and system to create a coordinated approach to organic waste management.
He also called on the government to increase funding for continuous environmental impact assessments and integrate these efforts into planning processes at all levels.
This appeal by the IRCU comes a week after a section of the Kiteezi landfill, which serves Kampala and nearby municipalities, collapsed on August 10.
Police reported on Sunday that at least 35 people were confirmed dead, with 28 still missing. Rescue teams continue to search for the missing bodies.
The Most Rev Dr Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, the IRCU chairperson and Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, echoed these resolutions, emphasising the need for practical government intervention to assist those affected.
“These people staying at Kiteezi playgrounds need immediate help,” Archbishop Kaziimba said, adding: “Some of them still have homes that were not affected, but they were told not to return or even collect necessities like blankets. They should have been allowed to retrieve their belongings or given proper guidance. We need to find a way to relocate them or provide suitable accommodations so they don’t continue to suffer.”
His remarks were met with applause from the survivors, who are currently staying at the Kiteezi playground, which is hosting 120 women, 146 children, and 62 men.
Archbishop Kaziimba, who was the main celebrant at the prayer service, acknowledged the immense challenges facing these families and stressed the importance of government action to help them rebuild their lives.
“We stand with you in these difficult times and pray that God comforts you. I know you have many questions, but some may not have answers. You worked for years to build a home, and now it’s gone. Some families lost their innocent children in this tragedy. The Ministry of Disaster and Preparedness must do more to address this situation,” he concluded.
The affected families now await the outcomes of Monday’s Cabinet meeting, which is expected to address compensation plans and other measures to support them.
Recommendations
1. The government should often act promptly to the advice and warnings by technical and professional personnel related to projected disasters by regulators such as the National Environmental Authority (Nema) to avoid such catastrophes.
2. Government structures for social workers, humanitarian organisations, and religious and faith-based institutions should provide psycho-social support and counsel to victims of this disaster.
3. There is a need for the government to set up special livelihoods and housing projects for the victims to ensure quick economic recovery and long-term community and household resilience.
4. To ensure a coordinated approach to the organic waste management framework within the country, the government should start the process of reforming the waste management policy and system.
5. The government should improve on funding for continuous environmental impact assessment and mitigation and integrate it into its planning processes at all levels.
