KAMPALA.
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has earmarked Shs4.3 billion to compensate families affected by the Kiteezi landfill collapse, which occurred last year.
Addressing a press conference during the KCCA End-of-Year message at City Hall on Tuesday, KCCA executive director, Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki, revealed that the authority is undertaking wide-ranging reforms in garbage management, governance and urban renewal.
“We have Shs4.3 billion ready to compensate the Kiteezi victims, and so far out of 96 people who registered, 75 are ready to receive their compensation,” she said.
She said the compensation which has taken over a year to happen is intended to restore dignity to the affected families, and that government is committed to ensuring that it reaches the intended beneficiaries.
“The compensation process is ongoing, with verification mechanisms in place to ensure transparency and fairness,” she said.
She revealed that only victims who submitted the right documents would be compensated.
“We want to be sure that the right people are compensated and that the process is clear, accountable and just. By the end of tomorrow, those who were screened will be getting their money through their individual accounts,” she said.
According to Mr Buzeki , the Kiteezi disaster has inspired KCCA’s intensified push to reform solid waste management, as one of the city’s biggest challenges.
“Garbage management remains a major issue for a fast-growing city like Kampala, and we are strengthening the entire chain from collection and transportation to disposal with safety, environmental protection, and sustainability at the centre,” she said
She added that KCCA is working closely with private waste collectors, division authorities, and communities to reduce illegal dumping and improve efficiency.
“This cannot be managed from City Hall alone. Divisions and communities must be part of the solution,” Buzeki said.
The Kiteezi landfill, located in Wakiso District, has served as Kampala’s main waste disposal site since the mid-1990s.
Originally designed as a controlled dumping site, Kiteezi gradually became overstretched as Kampala’s population and waste volumes grew.
Over the years, concerns were raised about poor drainage, inadequate engineering safeguards, and encroachment by surrounding communities, and delayed relocation of residents living close to the landfill.
The situation worsened following prolonged heavy rains, which triggered a partial collapse of the waste mound, burying homes and killing residents in nearby settlements.
The tragedy sparked public outrage and renewed scrutiny of Kampala’s waste management systems and the safety of communities living around the landfill.