MPs: Executive, parliament played deaf ear on decommissioning Kiteezi landfill

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Kyadondo East Member of Parliament, Nkunyingi Muwada broke into tears during the debate over the Kitezi landfill disasters. Muwada, whose constituency covers areas of Lusanja and Kitezi could not hold back tears as the matter was being debated on the floor of Parliament.

The lawmaker said had repeatedly warned of the impending disaster but the government did not provide funds for decommissioning the landfill. Kiteezi was commissioned in 1996. It should have been commissioned in 2018 but KCCA continued to use it despite the deteriorating situation

“In September 2021, I petitioned the Parliament and the government on this floor. And inform the House and the government about the state and condition of the landfill, A few days later, I went to the landfill with the state minister for Kampala. Water flooding from the landfill had washed away people’s houses,” said Muwadda.

He said he had demanded that KCCA deploy standby engineers on the landfill where garbage from Kampala and the neighboring district is dumped.   While the landfill was disaster-prone, Muwadda told the Parliament that there was no form of disaster warning in the area neighboring the residences.

While the government said most of those whose houses were affected were encroachers on the land bought by the former Kampala City council, Muwadda insists that the landfill found a majority of the people living in that area.

“It is very saddening to have your people being branded encroachers after being killed by the state,” said Muwadda before he was overcome by emotions that sent him sobbing.  He then faulted the police and members of the security forces for blocking volunteers who were helping in rescue efforts

Muwadda was contributing to a statement by the State Minister for Disaster, Lillian Aber in which she was updating the Parliament about the Kiteezi disaster. She said 23 bodies had been recovered from the area by Monday evening.

According to Aber, 56 households had been affected by the accident.  Eighteen people were rescued but the number of those still buried in the garbage could not be estimated.

She revealed that there were two unclaimed bodies at the mortuary. “They are all juveniles and we are waiting for the relatives of those people to claim the bodies,” said Aber.

Executive, Parliament Played Death Ear

Engineer Balimwezo Nsubuga Ronald, the Nakawa East MP said the Executive and Parliament have for years not provided funds for the decommissioning of the Kiteezi landfill. According to Balimwezo, what happened on that fateful Saturday was not a natural disaster.

“This is not a natural disaster. It was induced by humans. And there are very many institutions to blame including Parliament. Our own committee of budget” charged Balimwezo, also the former Mayor of Nakawa Division.

Balimwezo, like Muwadda, said the issue of decommissioning the Kitezi and landfill had been tabled in the parliament for the last eight years but the funds were availed.

Minister of Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Minsa Kabanda apologized for the death and property destroyed. The minister equally sounded helpless as she narrated how the effort to decommission the landfill was frustrated by the lack of funds.

Semujju Ibrahim Nganda caused laughter in the House as he sympathized with the Minister.  “I sympathize with colleagues who accept to be Ministers. The Minister for Kampala, when I asked her to respond, she was as crying as any other Member of Parliament. We did this, we did this. I don’t know why you accept to be Ministers in a Government like this. And I am saying this deliberate because I have seen the Vice President and Prime Minister after their appointment going to Gulu to thank Gen. Saleh. You all have contributed to creating this disaster of one man taking every decision, that is why you are all here crying. You come to Parliament to cry, so what do you want us to do?” asked Ssemujju Nganda.

For now, KCCA does not have a budget to commence the decommissioning of the Kiteezi which experts including the Lord Mayor of Kampala, Erias Lukwago said did qualify to be categorized as a landfill because it did not meet any of the requirements.

******

URN