Devastated, homeless and helpless: Kiteezi survivors’ tales

Irene Namatovu, plastics collector

“I am a single mother raising two young children. The girl is six years old, while the boy is four years. My children survived the tragedy because both are in boarding school. But when they return, where will they go? I was on my way to work when the calamity happened. Scared and worried, I hurried back to the location of my house only to find nothing but a heap of garbage and no sight of the house. As we speak, I have nothing. With the other affected residents who lost houses and loved ones, we are all currently staying inside the tent that was erected by the Uganda Red Cross rescue team at Kiteezi football pitch. The Red Cross team has been so kind to us providing necessities including food and clothing. But for how long?”

‘My pregnant wife is still missing’

Abdu Salam Juma, driver 

“My dear wife, Maureen Farida Nambusi, has not yet been seen since the calamity. She was four months pregnant at the time of the accident. She was residing in our rental house when disaster struck. The house collapsed under the garbage heap. I had just stepped away to go to the town centre when the accident happened. I do not want to believe that she died under that heap of rubbish. I really don’t want to believe it. I am hoping that by some miracle she shows up in flesh and blood. That is my prayer. But also, if she is no longer with us, I hope and pray that the rescue team can get her body so that we [family] can give her a decent burial. This is really a trying moment. My thoughts are everywhere. But, if we at least get her body, my heart will rest.” 

‘I don’t know where my roommate is’

Paul Amakanjja, material supplier

“Before the accident happened, we were three friends sharing a one-roomed rental house. Myself, another friend called Timothy and Peter Mayanja. We opted for this plan to cut costs as we figured out lives as young men. On that fateful day, Timothy and I woke up and got ready for work. The two of us left Mayanja sleeping because our schedules were different from his. This was at about 6.45am. Out of the house and on our way to work, we began to hear the news of the landfill collapse and we immediately returned to the house. Lo and behold, we found a heap of garbage had collapsed on it. Mayanja and everything in the house were gone. Until now, the rescue team has not found his body.” 

‘My source of livelihood is gone’

Alice Nakate, landlady

“I had stepped out of the house when the incident happened. No one else was in the house. I have five children, in total. Four of them are out there in the world hustling for themselves. I live with the youngest who is currently away in boarding school. Besides my house, I have also lost my source of income. I was a landlady with houses for rent. Each tenant was paying me Shs60,000 monthly. All these apartments are gone, yet, that money from the tenants was what was helping me provide needs for my family. I am now stuck, with no plan B. How does one move on from here? I am confused and helpless. We need serious intervention to heal from this tragedy but we don’t know when this will come to an end . ” 

‘I survived after running’

Grace Chandia, scrap dealer

“That unfortunate morning when the accident happened, I was at the site working. I am a scrap dealer also involved in selling plastics. 

I was with several other colleagues spread across the garbage site, collecting scrap, on that fateful morning.  

Before I knew it, I heard people shouting, ‘run, run, the thing is coming,’ I also ran without knowing what exactly I was running away from. 

All I heard was an unexplainable noise. Seconds later when the sound stopped, I looked behind me and saw that a few metres away from me, a huge part of the garbage heap had collapsed to the ground. 

As I began to make sense of what had happened, I realised that some of my colleagues I had been working with were nowhere to be seen. Later, I learnt that some of them died after they were buried under the heavy garbage. 

I just don’t know. If I had not run, I would be gone too. But my troubles are not yet over. I am nine months pregnant but with no home. It collapsed under the garbage. 

Some people are advising that I go and stay with family members or friends, but it is not a permanent solution. It is a temporary fix.” 

‘My left leg got stuck in garbage’

Rehema Muhammed, sorts waste

“That Saturday morning, I woke up and headed for work. I sort waste including polythene bags and plastics for a living. On that unfortunate day as I was on the site working, I heard people screaming and shouting that something is moving and so, we should run for our lives. Amidst the confusion, I heeded and ran. 

The landfills happened in two waves. I ran shortly after the occurrence of the second one and in the process, my left leg got stuck inside a section of filth of the garbage. People, including my husband, later came to my location and tried hard to pull out the stuck leg from the ground. It took them almost two and a half hours to pull it out of the hard filth. Once it was out, I felt as if it was paralysed. The paralysis later subsided before I later began to feel a lot of pain. I was taken to hospital after the incident to receive medical attention.”