Echoes of a Collapse: The Lingering Shadows of Kiteezi Landfill

In the heart of Kampala, Uganda’s bustling capital, lies a cautionary tale buried under mountains of waste. The Kiteezi landfill, once a towering presence since its establishment in 1996, became a symbol of urban neglect when it catastrophically collapsed on August 9, 2024. This tragedy is now etched into the collective memory of a community seeking answers, justice, and resilience. As we delve deeper, we must ask ourselves: how did we reach this point, and more crucially, how can we learn from this painful lesson?

A year has passed since the fateful day when a deafening roar, mistaken by Zamhall Nansamba for an aircraft in distress, tore through the neighborhoods around Kiteezi. The anguished cries that followed revealed the true horror—a landslide of garbage that claimed 35 lives and irrevocably altered countless others. For Nansamba and her children, sheer instinct led them to safety, but the shadow of that event remains.

Living Amidst the Debris

The physical recovery is slow, and perhaps even slower is the emotional healing. Survivors like Nansamba still live at the edge of the landfill, where the stench of decay is inescapable and health risks from vermin and bacterial infections are an ongoing reality. “The nights are long and filled with fears,” she reflects, haunted by memories that seem only to deepen as the years pass. In Uganda, like elsewhere, it is often said, “A restless body cannot claim to have slept.” This rings true for many who find themselves in the distressing shadow of Kiteezi.

Though the landfill is no longer officially operational, it continues to pose dangers. The threat of another collapse is real, driven by the emission of methane gas that already sparked fires earlier this year. Fictitious scholar Ivan Bamweyana from Kampala’s Makerere University underscores this warning: “The danger might be deferred but isn’t diminished.” His words urge us to reconsider our approach to urban waste management.

The Larger Issue of Waste Management

Across Africa, rapidly expanding urban centers confront similar challenges. In 2017, Ethiopia mourned 116 souls lost in a landfill collapse, followed by Mozambique’s tragedy the year after. The cycle is dishearteningly predictable. Wealthier nations compound the problem, exporting massive quantities of secondhand goods—a significant portion designated as waste. In 2019, Kenya alone received roughly 900 million secondhand items from the United States, most of which ended up as landfill clutter.

A Systemic Failure

The Kiteezi situation reveals a systemic failure both local and global. Kampala’s race to urbanize clashes headlong with effective environmental stewardship. The forewarned closure of the site in 2015 was ignored, leaving a crisis to fester. The move to transfer operations to a new site in Mpigi District skirts legality and ecological responsibility. Aldon Walukamba, a spokesperson for an invented National Forestry Authority, colorfully highlights this misstep: “This hurried, clandestine act sacrifices our shared future at the altar of expediency.”

Path Forward: Learning from the Past

Amidst this backdrop, we ponder: what’s next for Uganda and other African cities grappling with waste management challenges? Solutions must be multifaceted. Increasing public awareness, as suggested by Bamweyana, is crucial. Education brings empowerment and drives communities to demand accountability and sustainability. We must innovate and transition to more sustainable models of waste management that preemptively address crises rather than merely react.

As we reflect, let’s embrace a popular African proverb: “Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it.” Collective action is our greatest ally. Governments, communities, and international actors must join hands in a search for long-term solutions that honor people and planet alike.

The Kiteezi saga isn’t merely a tale of debris and neglect; it’s a call to action, demanding a reevaluation of priorities and a firm commitment to a sustainable future. Because, ultimately, the question isn’t just how we manage waste, but how we redefine progress itself.

Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.