Museveni asks IGG to probe Kiteezi garbage collapse
Volunteers dig through rubbles to retrieve a body of a woman at Kiteezi landfill on August 11, 2024 after a heap of garbage fell on houses the day before. PHOTO/ ISAAC KASAMANI
What you need to know:
- The president directed the State House comptroller to assist victims with Shs5 million for each person who died and Shs1 million for the injured.
President Museveni has directed the Deputy IGG, Anne Muhairwe, to “expeditiously investigate” circumstances under which a heap of garbage buried houses at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) landfill in Kitezezi killing over 10 people and injuring several others.
Mr Museveni further said on Saturday that he had directed the Prime Minister to co-ordinate the removal of all the house-holds in the danger zone, in addition to ensuring the recovery, if possible of the people still buried in the garbage.
Red cross officials carry a body of a woman who was retrieved from the garbage at Kiteezi landfill. The death toll is expected to rise as the search and rescue operation at the landfill where garbage fell on several house is ongoing. PHOTO/ ISAAC KASAMANI
“The first question that comes to mind is: “Who allowed people to live near such a potentially hazardous and dangerous heap?” Even without peeling off and burying people, the effluent alone (ejyurigyiriro) must be hazardous to health,” the president said in a statement posted on his X handle hours after the Saturday morning incident which happened eight months after Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago had warned of an impending disaster and asked for the relocation of the landfill to Mukono Distict where KCCA bought over 136 acres of land to be used as a dumping site.
Women seen crying after they saw the body of their mother which was retrieved from the garbage at Kiteezi landfill where dozens were buried when a heap of garbage fell on several houses. PHOTO/ ISAAC KASAMANI
Mr Museveni also directed the State House Comptroller to financially assist the families of those who died with Shs5 million per person and Shs1 million per person who was injured.
“ his is not part of the legal compensation that may come from the Government if any Government Agency is found to be responsible,” he said.
At the scene, relatives and friends of the affected persons said the search and rescue operation was slow, asking for more excavators on ground.
The president said he had directed the UPDF Special Forces to reinforce the search and rescue team.
A man weeps after seeing the body of his mother which was retrieved from the garbage at Kiteezi landfill on August 11, 2024. PHOTO/ ISAAC KASAMANI
“When I talked to Dorothy Kisakka, she told me the story of how they wanted to move to Dundu but the Dundu People did not want to neighbour with the rubbish and instead, they have been working on positively using the rubbish, which is actually good, to generate electricity, make manure, recycle the plastics, etc. That, however, does not answer the question of why human settlement was allowed near the heap. However, once again, this should educate Ugandans about the dangerous areas such as wetlands, lake-shores or the river banks, in the forests where they get in touch with monkeys and bring monkey-pox and Ebola to us, etc., etc. All should know that People-technical or political who encourage them to do so are, actually, their enemies. How many times have we lost People in such mountain land slides, floods, etc.? Let us learn and keep away from danger,” he added.
During a site visit on January 9, Mr Lukwago said the worrying condition at the 36-acre landfill was first raised by the Directorate of Public Health at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
He said the directorate recommended, among others, that the government should consider relocating to a new dumping site in Dundu-Mukono District or develop the already procured four acres of land which is adjacent to filled site in Kiteezi.
Established in 1996, Kiteezi landfill is the dumpsite of all garbage collected from all five divisions of the city.
