Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is in the process of securing UGX 190 billion to establish a modern landfill at a newly acquired site in Ddungu, Kyampisi Sub-County in Mukono District. The move is aimed at relocating from the overcrowded Kiteezi landfill in Wakiso District.
Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago expressed his disappointment at the deteriorating state of the Kiteezi landfill, citing overflowing garbage “mountains” at the site despite a total expenditure of UGX 4.1 billion for the Financial Year 2023/24.
During a fact-finding mission at Kiteezi landfill, Lukwago revealed that KCCA lacks the funds to carry out the relocation to the newly acquired land in Ddungu. The 36-acre Kiteezi landfill, originally intended for landfill purposes, has turned into an open dumpsite, posing significant health and safety risks to the public.
KCCA had previously purchased 135 acres of land in Ddundu, but the government failed to develop it and construct a recycling plant, as recommended by KCCA councillors. Lukwago stated that they had suggested the government commit UGX 26 billion to expand the Kiteezi landfill by acquiring additional land and ensuring continued operation for two years at a cost of UGX 5 billion, but this proposal has not been realized.
During the fact-finding mission, it was discovered that much of the equipment, including excavators, bulldozers, and compactors, is in poor mechanical condition. The leachate treatment plant is non-operational, and the weigh-bridge is nonexistent, with garbage deliveries left to estimations.
KCCA Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka emphasized the need for an alternative disposal site solution to replace Kiteezi, stating that without such a solution, investing in waste collection alone would not suffice. The deteriorating situation at Kiteezi was highlighted in December when the landfill’s operations were halted for three days due to slippery roads, creating unbearable stench from the accumulated waste in the city.
