On August 11th, a heap of garbage at Kiteezi Landfill in Wakiso District collapsed in the morning, killing 35 people. Several houses were buried by the garbage, while others were intentionally demolished to facilitate rescue operations with heavy excavators.
People who lost their homes during the Kiteezi landfill tragedy stormed City Hall at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) on Monday, demanding expedited compensation for their destroyed properties.
On August 11th, a heap of garbage at Kiteezi Landfill in Wakiso District collapsed in the morning, killing 35 people. Several houses were buried by the garbage, while others were intentionally demolished to facilitate rescue operations with heavy excavators.
Zahara Nassozi, one of the affected residents, recounted that her house was demolished to make way for the excavators. She is demanding 60 million Shillings, the amount she spent constructing her home. Nassozi added that she currently has no place to accommodate her children, who are returning from school after exams.
Badru Ssenyange Musa urged the government to expedite compensation, emphasizing that the tragedy resulted from governmental negligence. He alleged that authorities were aware of the potential danger posed by the landfill but failed to act in time. Musa also criticized the initial 2 million shillings he received as insufficient, explaining that he has struggled to cover his children's school fees and is demanding immediate compensation.
The landlords were later addressed by Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who informed them that the Ministry of Finance had instructed KCCA to open an account to manage the 4.9 billion Shillings earmarked for livelihood recovery support, pending further assistance from the government.
Lukwago clarified that the 4.9 billion Shillings is intended to cover several needs, including the stabilization of Kiteezi, support for the Katikolo landfill in Mukono, and addressing issues at Nkuba landfill, among other concerns. However, Lukwago pointed out that the government has yet to release these funds, which would enable KCCA to allocate 1 billion shillings specifically for the livelihood support of the affected individuals.
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Lukwago also emphasized the importance of thoroughly verifying the identities of the affected persons to ensure fair and proper distribution of the 1 billion shillings in support, should the Ministry of Finance release the funds.
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The 13 landlords who stormed KCCA are among the 72 individuals whose homes were demolished during the landfill tragedy.
Fred Kayongo Male
Freelancer