Govt urged to streamline Kiteezi Waste Slide Crisis Management

Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, has r expressed serious concerns over the handling of the  Kiteezi landfill disaster and criticized the uncoordinated response operations currently in place.

Briefing the media in Kampala on the Kiteezi matter, Lukwago called on the Central Government to either take full charge of the situation or institutionalize an inter-agency coordination committee with formalized terms of reference to oversee the response. “We need clarity on who is responsible for managing this crisis. The current lack of structure and coordination will only exacerbate the situation,” he said.

The Lord Mayor also condemned the Central Government’s controversial efforts to engage a strategic investor to stabilize the Kiteezi Dumpsite, a process he described as riddled with illegalities and discrepancies.

He pointed out that up to four organizations are currently involved in negotiations at various stages, putting immense pressure on the acting Executive Director of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Jaspong Group of Companies.

This group, according to Lukwago, claims to offer its services for free, but the process has bypassed required procurement procedures, potentially leading to high costs for taxpayers.

In his address, Lukwago emphasized the importance of focusing on long-term solutions, such as fast-tracking the procurement of an alternative waste management site.

“The process of identifying a new site was halted and revised, but this must now be expedited if we are to avoid further tragedies,” he urged.

He further called for adequate compensation for the victims of the waste slide, noting that the current efforts by the authorities amounted to tokenism.

“The affected people deserve more than what is being offered. We need a comprehensive compensation plan to address their losses,” he added.

The Kiteezi waste slide has already resulted in the loss of lives and destruction of property. Reports indicate that if immediate action is not taken to stabilize the dumpsite, there is a risk of the tragedy repeating itself.

This press briefing highlighted  growing tensions between the Kampala City leadership and the Central Government over how to handle the aftermath of the disaster, with the need for a decisive, structured, and transparent response becoming ever more urgent.