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Kiteezi crisis: KCCA technical staff must resign, apologise – NEED party
Mr Moses Matovu, NEED party spokesperson. Photo | David Walugembe
What you need to know:
- Mr Moses Matovu, the spokesperson of NEED while addressing the media on Monday, called for the immediate resignation and apology of all technical staff at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) for their negligence.
As Uganda is still reeling from the devastating Kiteezi garbage landfill accident that has left over 20 people dead and many homeless, the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) party, has called for immediate action to prevent such a crisis from happening again.
Mr Moses Matovu, the spokesperson of NEED while addressing the media on Monday, called for the immediate resignation and apology of all technical staff at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) for their negligence.
"The Kiteezi incident is a sign of a dysfunctional state in all its institutions," Matovu said. "This wasn't just a natural disaster; it was an issue of people sleeping on their jobs. Why didn't they use force to evict people from the area, just like they did in Lubigi?"
Mr Matovu emphasised the need for a comprehensive plan on garbage recycling and management, saying, "This is not just a Kampala problem; it's a national issue. We need a clear law to govern waste management."
Mr Kabuye Kyofa, Minister of State for Kampala City and Metropolitan Affairs, attributed the disaster to a combination of tectonic forces and human activities. He advocated for increased funding to improve waste management and invest in research.
"KCCA has done what they can, but they are constrained by resources. They have ideas, but implementation requires resources," Kyofa said.
Ms Lillian Aber, State Minister for Disaster Preparedness, Relief, and Refugees, acknowledged that predicting disasters is challenging but emphasised the importance of leaders working with the government to sensitise and educate people on risks.
"We are discussing alternative dumping grounds and commissioning the area," Aber said. "We have relocated people from the buffer zone to a temporary shelter and are discouraging people from staying in such areas."
Ms Aber called on local leaders to help implement these actions, saying, "We need to work together to prevent such circumstances from happening again."
