By Teddy Namayanja
Government is set to provide an official update on its plans for managing waste in Kampala, following concerns raised by the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi.
Ssenyonyi highlighted the growing heap of garbage in the city after the closure of the Kiteezi landfill, which left waste without a proper disposal site. He noted that Kampala generates between 2000 and 2500 metric tons of waste daily, but relocation attempts to Mukono and Wakiso were unsuccessful.
“There is currently no place to dispose it off. They attempted to relocate waste to Mukono and Wakiso but that didn’t work out. We’re yet to find garbage pulling up across the city. We need to know governments plan”. Senyonyi submitted.
Third Deputy Prime Minister Rukia Nakaddama responded, stating that cabinet discussed the issue earlier in the week and requested the Deputy Speaker to allow the Minister for Kampala Hamisa Kabanda to provide a full update on Thursday.
Earlier, Wakiso Woman MP Ethel Naluyima raised concerns about compensation for Kiteezi landfill victims, urging the Office of the Prime Minister to provide a comprehensive update on compensation plans. Naluyima emphasized that victims were promised compensation, but no progress has been made, and foul water from the landfill threatens nearby homes.
The Kiteezi landfill collapse occurred on August 10, 2024, claiming 34 lives and displacing 265 individuals. The disaster prompted the government to decommission the landfill. A temporary dumping site has been identified in Menvu, Busukuma Subcounty, Wakiso District. The disaster sparked widespread outrage, reigniting debates and controversies surrounding waste management practices in the city.
Yesterday, chaos erupted at City Hall during a meeting to deliberate on waste management in the city. Council members clashed with the City’s Executive Committee over its failure to deliver a critical report on solid waste management. The much-anticipated session intended to focus on pressing issues in Kampala. The meeting was however thrown in disarray when the executive committee failed to present a strategy to address the city’s mounting waste crisis.
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago issued a stern directive to the government this morning, demanding that a new dumping site be provided not later than this week. He was visibly irate and frustrated as he emphasized that the current situation is unacceptable, and that government needs to take immediate action to address the city’s waste management crisis.
