In the Shadow of Waste: One Year After Kampala’s Landfill Collapse
When the massive landfill at Kiteezi in Uganda’s bustling capital, Kampala, surrendered to its own weight, the catastrophe heralded by a deafening roar, many mistook it for the routine noise of a low-flying airplane. But as the echoes faded, chaos erupted. A deluge of detritus surged across the landscape, uprooting trees and engulfing whatever lay in its wake.
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Zamhall Nansamba was among the fortunate. With her heart pounding and her children in tow, she fled just in time to avoid the grim fate of about 35 others who perished that fateful August day in 2024.
“We are living a miserable life,” she lamented to AFP, her voice tinged with exhaustion and a yearning for normalcy. This poignant refrain resonates across Kampala, where many survivors remain mired in the same shadows that overtook their homes.
The Perils of Waste Management in Urban Africa
Opened in 1996, Kiteezi has long been the city’s dumping ground. Yet, its limits were reached in 2015. Despite recommendations to close the site, waste continued to pour in, epitomizing the struggle many urban centers in Africa face.
Such tragedies aren’t new to the continent. In 2017, Ethiopia faced a similar disaster, with 116 lives lost. The following year, Mozambique witnessed a landslide at a dump, claiming 17 souls.
Beyond urban growth, an often-overlooked factor compounds the issue: the influx of waste from wealthier nations. From computers to clothing, the Global North’s refuse finds its way into Africa. In 2019, the United States alone exported 900 million pieces of secondhand clothing to Kenya—more than half of which was waste.
Averting a Recurring Nightmare
“The collapse could have been avoided,” asserts Ivan Bamweyana, a geomatics scholar from Makerere University. He paints a picture of the landfill’s unchecked vertical expansion over the decade, reaching up to 30 meters high. It was on the morning of heavy rainfall that the proverbial straw broke the camel’s back.
Bamweyana warns of potential future catastrophes due to continued methane emissions. Fires in February and June serve as ominous reminders of inherent dangers. Despite the official cessation of dumping, locals continue to scavenge the unstable slopes for plastic bottles, eking out meager livings.
The Human Toll of Bureaucratic Delays
Post-disaster, over 233 people were displaced, yet many remain uncompensated. Shadia Nanyongo, another victim, shares a cramped room with six family members, surviving on scarce resources.
“We eat one meal a day,” she told AFP, her eyes clouded with frustration. Compensation remains a distant dream for her and many others.
The nightmare is perpetuated for Nansamba, who lives adjacent to the landfill’s lingering menace. The pervasive stench and rampant vermin are unwelcome guests. Her children’s frequent bacterial infections are a testament to the untenable conditions.
While Nansamba lost income properties to the disaster, her own home was spared, leaving her with nothing but haunting memories. “You hear dogs barking… you think ghosts have come,” she confides, grappling with sleepless nights.
Legal and Environmental Entanglements
The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) promises compensation by September, with a new waste site purportedly established 30 kilometers away in Mpigi District. But this effort is mired in controversy. The National Forestry Authority alleges illegal encroachment on protected land, an assertion that casts doubt on the legality and sustainability of current waste management strategies.
“They did it hurriedly and illegally,” Aldon Walukamba from the Forestry Authority remarked. Such compromises between urban necessities and ecological preservation are emblematic of fast-growing cities grappling with development versus conservation.
A Call for Sustainable Solutions
Bamweyana and like-minded advocates champion public education as the way forward. “We cannot keep solving the problem using the same mechanism that created it,” he insists. The call for innovation rings clear, urging a reevaluation of how waste is perceived, processed, and managed.
The Kiteezi tragedy is a stark reminder and a call to action for communities worldwide. As urbanization accelerates, so too does waste production. Are we prepared to confront the crises of our own making? And if not now, when?
The resolve of communities tethered to the fringes of forgotten waste serves as both a caution and a beacon. In the end, the story of Kiteezi is not just one of plight but of potential—the potential to turn the tides with ingenuity, compassion, and shared responsibility.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
