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Mukono, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) council, has resolved to negotiate with Mukono Municipal Council to continue using the Katikolo landfill.
Last month Mukono Municipal Council allowed KCCA to temporarily use the landfill after the Kiteezi landfill tragedy which claimed the lives of more than 30 people. Efforts to secure other sites within the Kampala metropolitan area have been met with resistance from neighbouring municipalities, citing environmental and health concerns due to the large volume of waste produced by the capital.
During a special City Council meeting aimed at finding a long-term solution, councillors pressed Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and the Central Executive Committee (CEC) for a detailed update on efforts to address the garbage crisis.
However, following a heated exchange, the City Speaker, Zahara Luyilika, adjourned the session for 30 minutes to allow the CEC to compile a report. When the session resumed, none of the CEC members returned, leaving the councillors frustrated.
KCCA’s Director of Public Health, David Okello, informed council members that Katikolo remains the city’s only current option for waste disposal. He said that the municipality will decide on Thursday whether to continue allowing access to the site.
Okello also highlighted the inefficiency of the current arrangement, explaining that Katikolo operates for only three hours daily, while Kampala produces waste that requires an average of 173 truckloads daily.
In response, the council passed a resolution to form a five-member committee which will meet Mukono municipality leaders. The council also agreed to mobilize a city-wide garbage collection day, encouraging councillors to lead efforts to clean up their communities and prevent an overflow of waste.
Further resolutions included halting the procurement of land for a new landfill until a detailed report is provided on the status of alternative sites such as Ddundu and Nakawuka, which were once considered substitutes for Kiteezi.
Lukwago also told the councillors that Total Energies suspended fuel supplies to KCCA over unpaid arrears of 2.3 billion Shillings, potentially grounding waste collection trucks and worsening the crisis.
“With this announcement from Total, we are heading for a disaster,” he cautioned. He thanked councillors for asserting their mandate and urged them to continue holding responsible officials accountable until a permanent solution is found.
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