By Culton Scovia Nakamya

Alice Nakate, a mother of six, has lived in Kiteezi since 1990. Kiteezi, a suburb of Kampala, is about 20 km from the city. Seven years later, the 29-acre landfill was designated as a garbage dump site by the Kampala Capital City Authority. Nakate, who lived meters away from the site, was initially uncomfortable due to the constant stench from dead animals and rotten waste.

In 2005, she became a single mother, which challenged her to take on available jobs to support her six children. The Kiteezi garbage site became her solution. “This was a hard decision.

Without protective gear, I had to sort garbage by picking out plastic bottles and anything else that could be reused,” she says.

“I later noticed this was a lucrative business where I could earn daily or weekly without anyone taxing it. I would get at least UGX 15,000 per day. After five years, I had saved enough money to build my own house,” Nakate explains.

The sorted garbage allowed her to educate her children and meet their basic needs, but she is now worried about future financial consequences.

Kampala has a population of over 4 million, and an estimated 1,500 tonnes of waste is dumped at Kiteezi every day. Nakate is not alone; since 1997, several women and girls have earned a living from the facility by sorting garbage.

Despite various reports warning the government about hazardous exposure and health risks, these warnings were ignored. In 2015, a survey conducted by researchers at Makerere University raised concerns after the landfill reached its maximum height.

In 2021, the Kampala Capital City Authority made a site visit and noted that:

1. The landfill at Kiteezi had reached an alarming height of 42 feet.
2. About 600 people earned a daily income from sorting garbage.
3. The liquid filtered from the rubbish was highly toxic.

Furthermore, a letter dated July 4 from the Director of Public Health at KCCA requested emergency response after the landfill developed cracks due to continued use beyond capacity. However, no action was taken.

On Saturday, August 8, 2024, the landfill collapsed, killing over 30 people, with several others injured, the majority being women and children.

Nakate’s house was among those destroyed by the catastrophic incident, leaving her and her children with nothing. More than 100 people, mostly women, are in similar situations and are in dire need of shelter and basic necessities.

Sumayyah Birungi, a mother of two, survived by a whisker after the landfill collapsed. The site has also been a source of income for her.

“I have been earning between UGX 70,000 and 100,000 per day. This has been fundamental for my survival. I am worried that my house is gone and my source of income has diminished,” she said.

For the last six days, ambulances and police patrols have been recovering bodies from the rubbish, and more people are reporting their relatives missing.

Several survivors have been forced to flee their homes due to safety concerns. Over 300 homes are facing demolition to prevent similar scenarios in the future.

A temporary shelter set up by Uganda redcross society is housing over 250 people.

Authorities are investigating negligence and allegations of secret underground gas exploration by Chinese investors.

The government allocated UGX 5 million to the deceased and UGX 1 million to the injured. Prime Minister Robina Nabbanja stated that the government has intensified plans to relocate affected families.