KAMPALA — The death toll from a devastating landslide at a vast garbage dump in the
Ugandan capital of Kampala has climbed to 18, authorities reported on Sunday, amid
mounting criticism that the site was a disaster waiting to happen.
Heavy rains on Saturday triggered the collapse at the Kiteezi landfill, located in the northern
district of Kampala. The landslide engulfed homes, people, and livestock in mounds of
waste, leading to widespread destruction and panic among residents.
President Yoweri Museveni has mobilized the army’s special forces to assist in the ongoing
search and rescue operation.
In a strongly worded statement, he demanded accountability from officials responsible for
permitting settlements near the “potentially hazardous and dangerous heap.”
“We need to know who allowed people to live so close to such a dangerous site,” Museveni
said, pledging financial compensation of five million Ugandan shillings (about $1,300) for
each fatality and one million shillings ($270) for those injured.
The operation, which began on Saturday, has so far recovered 18 bodies, including those of
two children, according to Patrick Onyango, spokesman for Kampala’s metropolitan police.
The search is expected to continue, with fears that more victims may still be buried under
the debris.
The disaster has displaced an estimated 1,000 people, leaving them without shelter and in
need of urgent assistance.
“This is a national disaster,” said Kampala Mayor Erias Lukwago, who has been a vocal
critic of the landfill’s management.
He accused corrupt officials of misappropriating funds meant for the landfill’s
maintenance and safety.
“This catastrophe was bound to happen,” Lukwago said, noting that the landfill,
established in 1996, had long exceeded its capacity. The 36-acre site receives about 1,500
tons of waste daily, much of which is untreated and hazardous.
The Kiteezi landfill has been a point of contention for years, with residents and local
leaders warning of the health risks posed by the overflowing waste.
Earlier this year, Lukwago had called for urgent action, citing the dangers faced by those
living and working near the site.
On Sunday, excavators continued to dig through massive mounds of trash as anguished
residents looked on, some wailing in despair.
The atmosphere was tense, with many fearing that more bodies would be discovered.
The tragedy in Kampala comes amid a series of deadly landslides across East Africa,
exacerbated by unusually heavy rains.
Last month, a mudslide in southern Ethiopia killed around 250 people, while in February
2010, a similar disaster in Uganda’s Mount Elgon region claimed over 350 lives.
President Museveni has ordered the immediate evacuation of all residents living in the
“danger zone” around the Kiteez.
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