Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has received the green light from the Solicitor General to begin decommissioning and repurposing the Kiteezi landfill in Wakiso District, following its catastrophic collapse in 2024.
The project will involve cutting and stabilizing steep waste slopes, managing pollution, and sealing the waste surface, among other measures aimed at preventing further disasters.
Speaking before the Committee on Commissions, State Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE), KCCA Deputy Executive Director Benon Kigenyi confirmed that all regulatory requirements have been met to allow the contractor, UN Habitat, to commence 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 said.
Kigenyi revealed that the contractor will also handle the draining and treatment of leachate, a watery solution from the landfill that MPs flagged as harmful to nearby residents and the environment.
The committee chairperson, Medard Sseggona, highlighted ongoing concerns from the Auditor General’s report, including persisting cracks in the landfill that could trigger another collapse.
“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,” said Sseggona, also the Busiro County East Member of Parliament.
The Auditor General’s report also criticized the compensation of up to Shs 2 million given to households for relocation, calling it insufficient given the high cost of urban living.
Some residents who initially moved have returned to their homes, while others continue to live dangerously close to the landfill.
Kigenyi praised UN Habitat for bringing modern technology and international experience, noting that the works are scheduled to begin in October 2025, a step seen as vital to safeguarding both the environment and the communities near Kiteezi.
