KCCA Cleared to Begin Kiteezi Landfill Decommissioning After 2024 Collapse

The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has received final approval from the Solicitor General to commence the long-awaited overhaul of the Kiteezi landfill in Wakiso District, nearly a year after its collapse sparked an environmental and humanitarian scare.

The project, to be undertaken with support from UN Habitat, will involve stabilizing waste slopes, sealing the landfill surface, and implementing strict pollution and leachate treatment measures.

Authorities say these interventions are critical to averting further disasters and protecting surrounding communities.

Appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE), KCCA Deputy Executive Director Benon Kigenyi confirmed that all regulatory hurdles had been cleared, allowing UN Habitat to take charge of the works.

“The contract for the UN Habitat has been cleared, they are coming in to give us humanitarian assistance, they have US$1 million to support us with technology which has worked elsewhere, they are coming with experience from other countries with landfills, they have the capacity to get the required equipment easily,” Kigenyi explained.

The Auditor General’s recent report raised red flags about deep cracks at the site, warning of the possibility of another collapse if urgent action was not taken.

COSASE chairperson and Busiro County East MP, Medard Sseggona, faulted government agencies for previous lapses.

“There was laxity occasioned by a chief government valuer who did not treat this matter seriously, yet these are matters you must settle. The report shows the would-be efforts of KCCA have been thwarted by the government valuer,” Sseggona said.

The same report also criticized the Shs 2 million relocation compensation per household as inadequate for families uprooted by the landfill disaster.

Some displaced residents have since returned to their original homes, leaving them once again exposed to the health and safety risks at Kiteezi.

Despite these challenges, Kigenyi expressed optimism, noting that UN Habitat’s expertise and modern waste management technology would give the project momentum once works begin in October 2025.

“The contract for the UN Habitat has been cleared, they are coming in to give us humanitarian assistance, they have US$1 million to support us with technology which has worked elsewhere, they are coming with experience from other countries with landfills, they have the capacity to get the required equipment easily,” he reiterated.

The decommissioning marks a turning point in the city’s waste management strategy, aiming to restore safety and environmental stability at one of Uganda’s largest and most troubled dumpsites.