Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has directed the Ministry of Refugees and Disaster Preparedness to update Parliament on the status of compensation for victims of the October 10, 2024 Kiteezi landfill tragedy, which claimed lives and destroyed property in Wakiso District.
The directive followed concerns raised by Kyadondo East MP Muwada Nkunyingi during the October 28, 2025 plenary sitting, who accused government of neglecting both the victims and residents living near the unstable landfill that now shows visible cracks.
“When I petitioned Parliament over this tragedy, this House directed government to regularly report on progress, first on the decommissioning of the landfill, compensation of the victims, and other interventions to address the disaster,” said Muwada. “It is now a year and one month later, and government has not updated Parliament. The victims continue to demand compensation, and those of us living nearby remain at risk. I am a resident of Lusanja in Kiteezi; I don’t know if I’ll be claimed by the next collapse.”
He further appealed to the State Minister for Disaster Preparedness, who was present in the House, to respond with clear updates on both compensation and the plan to decommission the site.
In response, Tayebwa directed the Minister for Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to present a comprehensive statement to Parliament next week detailing the status of compensation and progress on the landfill’s decommissioning.
The directive comes amid renewed scrutiny of KCCA’s waste management practices, following findings by the Auditor General, Edward Akol, in his December 2024 report. The report highlighted persistent challenges in waste treatment and disposal, noting that plans to decommission Kiteezi had stalled after the 135-acre piece of land purchased in Ddundu, Mukono District, in 2015 for UGX 5 billion as an alternative dumping site remained idle. The relocation was abandoned after the Ddundu community resisted the project, leaving the land exposed to encroachment.
The Auditor General also flagged irregularities in the government-led compensation process for families affected by the waste slide. An inspection conducted on December 13, 2024, revealed that although a 200-meter buffer zone around the landfill had been demarcated, several residents continued to live within it, with some houses standing barely 10 meters from the dump.
The report further criticized the UGX 2 million per household compensation provided to affected families as part of the relocation plan, describing it as inadequate. “Interviews with residents revealed that the UGX 2 million was insufficient to support a smooth transition to urban living, as it does not cover rent, living expenses, or long-term stability,” the report stated. “This leaves the residents at risk of another landfill collapse and exposes them to severe health complications due to the hazardous environment.”
