Mukono leaders halt garbage dumping by KCCA at Katikolo landfill
Leaders inspecting Katikolo landfill in Mukono recently. Photo | URN
What you need to know:
- This decision came after KCCA failed to meet the conditions set by the municipality, despite a resolution passed on August 23, 2024.
Mukono Municipality leaders, led by Deputy Town Clerk Majerani Luboyera and Municipal MP Betty Nambooze, took a bold stance on Monday evening, halting further garbage dumping by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) at the Katikolo landfill.
This decision came after KCCA failed to meet the conditions set by the municipality, despite a resolution passed on August 23, 2024.
"The deadline we gave you has already expired. You have breached the agreement, and from now on, we ask you to find a new place to dump your garbage. Do not bring it back to Mukono," Luboyera stated, addressing the Lord Mayor and his team.
The initial agreement allowed KCCA to dump waste at Katikolo for three days as a temporary measure to address Kampala's waste crisis after the Kiteezi landfill was deemed unsafe. However, the government failed to allocate the promised Shs4.5 billion to secure additional land and establish a waste management plant.
Local leaders were further infuriated by Mukono Environment Officer George Masengere's revelation that KCCA had been supporting the municipality with a grader and fuel to manage the garbage. This was seen as insensitive to the residents of Katikolo, who are already suffering from the consequences of significant waste dumping.
Katikolo Village Chairperson Godfery Sebulidde expressed concerns about the potential outbreak of hygiene-related diseases and water contamination. "The site's proximity to Lake Nalubaale has raised environmental and health concerns among residents, and we cannot risk contaminating the well water, which is the only source of water in the area," Sebulidde said.
Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago acknowledged the concerns and indicated that KCCA would convene in Kampala to seek alternative solutions.
"We are in serious danger as KCCA... We do not want the issues that occurred at Kiteezi to be replicated in Mukono. Otherwise, we will alert the government and seek funds to secure a new landfill as soon as possible," Lukwago emphasized
