Eight months after the tragic collapse of the Kiteezi landfill that claimed dozens of lives in Uganda’s capital, growing concerns suggest the country could be on the brink of another waste management disaster—this time in Buyala.
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has sounded the alarm over ongoing garbage dumping in Buyala, a site along the Kampala–Mityana highway. According to Lukwago, the government appears to be repeating the same mistakes made at Kiteezi, where inadequate infrastructure and neglect led to catastrophe.
“What happened in Kiteezi was a disaster born out of negligence and underfunding. And now they’re doing the same thing in Buyala—dumping waste without even the most basic treatment or containment infrastructure,” Lukwago said.
The Kiteezi tragedy, which occurred in August 2024, left the nation in shock after a section of the overloaded landfill collapsed, killing several residents and injuring others. In the aftermath, former KCCA Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka and the Director of Public Health were arrested and charged with negligence. Their defense centered on a lack of funding to manage the site.
Now, in 2025, similar financial constraints are emerging. Lukwago revealed that only Shs 13.5 billion has been allocated in the upcoming budget for Buyala—and strictly for land acquisition, not infrastructure development. The government secured 230 acres at the site, and dumping has already begun, yet no systems are in place to treat or safely manage the waste.
“There is no waste treatment plant, no land lining to prevent contamination, no recycling mechanisms—just open dumping. This is a ticking time bomb,” Lukwago warned.
Newly appointed KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki acknowledged the concerns but assured the public that efforts are underway.
“We understand the frustrations, but these things take time. Procurement processes are ongoing, and we’re working closely with the Ministry of Finance and other partners to ensure Buyala doesn’t become another Kiteezi,” Buzeki said.
But critics argue that time is a luxury Kampala cannot afford. With the city generating an estimated 2,500 tons of solid waste daily, delays in infrastructure development could have dire consequences.
Shadow Finance Minister Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda also weighed in, revealing that under the current budget framework, KCCA garbage trucks have only been allocated fuel for a single trip per day.
“How can we claim to be building a modern city when our trucks can’t even make two trips a day? The government’s priorities are skewed,” Ssemujju noted.
