In the wake of a tragic rubbish dump collapse that took the lives of 30 people, including a young man’s best friend, Kampala's waste management crisis comes to light, exposing negligence, governmental power struggles, and the dire need for structural improvements.
**Tragedy in Kampala: The Deadly Collapse of the Kiteezi Dump**
**Tragedy in Kampala: The Deadly Collapse of the Kiteezi Dump**
A waste management disaster in Uganda has left families mourning and raises urgent questions about safety and governance.
22-year-old Okuku Prince still grapples with grief after the catastrophic collapse at the Kiteezi dump in Kampala, Uganda, which claimed the lives of his best friend, Sanya Kezia, and 29 others. The disaster highlights the precarious existence of those who sift through refuse in search of items to sell, underscoring the dire socio-economic conditions in which they live.
After the landslide last August, blame circulated between the Kampala city council and central government, both accusing each other of negligence while many bodies remained undiscovered beneath mounds of waste. Despite the grim recovery of Kezia's body, the relentless questioning around safety standards and disposal practices at Kiteezi, which has served as Kampala's primary dump since its establishment in 1996, remains.
"You can't just take all that waste produced by four million people and dump it in one place," urban planner Frank Muramuzi cautioned, noting the need for responsible waste management strategies that include recycling and sorting. With the city producing a staggering 2,500 tonnes of waste daily, Kiteezi has become a dire environment, overwhelmed with decay and increasing risk of further disasters.
While some compensation was offered to the families of those deceased, many others displaced by the incident, including Prince, have yet to see any form of aid. This highlights ongoing systemic issues in financial management and municipal governance, as Mayor Erias Lukwago criticizes the lack of necessary funding to manage waste properly.
Despite authorities pledging to expedite the management reform process, experts argue these initiatives will not sufficiently address the deeper systemic flaws rooted in the operating structure of Kiteezi. With promises of improved waste composting and public cooperation to sort refuse not yet realized, those affected by the collapse, including Prince, are left with sorrow and uncertainty regarding their future.
Local officials continue to draft strategies, but as of now, the memory of those lost—like Prince's friend Kezia—remains hauntingly present against the backdrop of systemic failure in Kampala's waste management.
