The Democratic Party (DP) has criticized the suggestion to acquire new land for garbage disposal, arguing that purchasing additional land for waste is not a viable solution, as proposed by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
Recently, Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago announced that a consensus had been reached to designate 32 acres of land in Menvu, Busukuma Subcounty, Wakiso District, as a temporary dump site.
This decision follows a tragic incident at the Kiteezi Landfill in Kampala, where at least 21 bodies have been recovered and 14 others rescued.
Lukwago explained that the decision came after extensive consultations and brainstorming sessions to address the city's waste management challenges.
The land, previously acquired by Nansana and Kira Municipalities for landfill purposes, will now serve immediate waste disposal needs.
Lukwago also addressed ongoing concerns about financial mismanagement within KCCA.
In response, Ismail Kiirya, Acting Spokesperson of DP, criticized both KCCA and the Ugandan government for their handling of the Kiteezi landfill crisis.
He argued that acquiring new land for garbage is not a solution and advocated for more effective approaches, such as utilizing waste to produce biogas and manure.
Kiirya highlighted long-standing issues with the landfill's management, which has been a source of environmental and safety concerns for years.
"There has been significant criminal negligence at the Kiteezi landfill by KCCA and the government. This landfill was predicted to face a tragedy eight years ago, but no action was taken," Kiirya stated, criticising the authorities for failing to address known risks.
He further condemned the government's reactionary approach.
"The Ugandan government acts reactively, like a fire brigade that waits for a fire before acting. There should be preventive measures in place,"he stated.
Kiirya also called for urgent measures to support affected communities, urging the government to compensate those living around the landfill and facilitate their relocation to avoid further issues.
"The government should compensate the families of the victims with at least 10 million shillings each," Kiirya demanded.
