The Kiteezi Landfill (Luganda: Kiteezi Kasasiro), also known as the Kiteezi Rubbish Dump, is a solid waste disposal site in Uganda. It is the main solid waste disposal site for the capital city of Kampala, with a projected metropolitan population of approximately 4 million people, as of 2024, serving the homes, businesses and industries of that metropolis.[1]
| Kiteezi Landfill | |
|---|---|
Kiteezi Kasasiro | |
  Location within Uganda | |
| Alternative names | Kiteezi Rubbish Dump |
| General information | |
| Location | Kiteezi, Kawempe Division, |
| Town or city | Kampala |
| Country | Uganda |
| Coordinates | 0°24′39″N 32°34′33″E / 0.41083°N 32.57583°E |
| Construction started | 1996 |
| Owner | Kampala Capital City Authority |
The landfill hosts an estimated 800 to 1,000 scavengers looking for recyclable items. The landfill receives anywhere between 1,500 and 2,000 tonnes of solid waste every 24 hours from all five divisions of Kampala and neighboring parts of Wakiso District. The "communities around the landfill live with contaminated air, scattered waste and leachate. Water resources for drinking and domestic purposes have become polluted".[1][2]
Location
editThe landfill is located in the neighborhood called Kiteezi, in Kawempe Division in extreme northern Kampala, at the border with Wakiso District. The Landfill is within the city, but the village of Kiteezi extends into Wakiso District, as shown on this map.[3] This is approximately 14 kilometres (9 mi) north of Kampala's central business district.[4] The landfill sits on approximately 35–36 acres (14–15 ha) of land owned by Kampala Capital City Authority.[5] The geographical coordinates of Kiteezi Landfill are 0°24'39.0"N, 32°34'33.0"E (Latitude:0.410833; Longitude:32.575833).[6]
Overview
editKiteezi Landfill was established in 1996, with financing from the World Bank, to provide a single major depository of the solid waste generated by the city of Kampala. As of 2024 the site receives an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 tonnes of solid waste from the city on a daily basis.[5][7] As of December 2021, an estimated 800 people lived and worked in the landfill, scavenging for recyclables including metal, cardboard, electronics, plastic and such.[5][8] By August 2024, that number had increased to an estimated 1,000 people.[9] Ugandan media indicated that in 2012, the landfill reached maximum capacity, however it continued to receive trash until August 2024.[10]
2024 landfill avalanche
edit| Date | August 9, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Location | Kiteezi Landfill, Kawempe Division, Kampala, Uganda |
| Cause | Heavy rainfall |
| Deaths | 35+ |
| Missing | 28 |
On the morning of Friday, 9 August 2024, during a heavy rainstorm, the unstable mountain of garbage at Kiteezi Landfill began to cascade downhill, covering buildings, gardens, livestock and human beings. In the immediate aftermath, 12 human bodies were uncovered and at least one dozen survivors were evacuated to area hospitals. More dead bodies were later discovered in the debris.[9][11][12][13] As of 16 August 2024, a total of 35 dead had been confirmed, with the death toll expected to climb.[14][15][16]
Future plans
editWith Kiteezi Landfill filled to over-capacity, KCCA purchased 136 acres (55 ha) of land in Dundu (Gayaza Dundu), Mukono District in 2021, with a view to build a new landfill and garbage processing center there.[8] This new site is located approximately 33 kilometres (21 mi) northeast of Kampala City center.[17] There was initial community resistance to the new proposed landfill in Dundu.[18]
Developments
editIn October 2024, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) contract Jospong Group of Ghana to start a recycling and fertilizer plant at the site. Physical work is expected to begin in March 2025, however survey and mapping work began in October 2024.[19][20]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b TTO (2023). "Kiteezi Landfill, Kampala City, Uganda". Toxic Tours (TTO). Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ Gerald Tenywa (6 May 2013). "Kampala Garbage Choking Kiteezi Residents". New Vision. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ "Map Showing Northern Boundary of Kampala City, With Kiteezi Landfill Within The Confines of The City" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ "Travel Distance Between Kampala CBD, Uganda And Kiteezi Landfill, Kampala, Uganda" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Shamim Aryampa, Basant Maheshwari, Elly Sabiiti, Najib Bateganya, and Christopher Olobo (2022). "Understanding The Impacts of Waste Disposal Site Closure On The Livelihood of Local Communities In Africa: A Case Study of The Kiteezi Landfill In Kampala, Uganda". World Development Perspectives. 25. doi:10.1016/j.wdp.2021.100391. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Location of Kiteezi Landfill, Kampala, Uganda" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ Daily Monitor (10 August 2024). "Heap of garbage buries houses, livestock at Kiteezi landfill". Daily Monitor. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ a b Jeff Andrew Lule (26 February 2024). "Kiteezi Women Garbage Collectors Get Livelihood Support". New Vision. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ a b Joseph Winter (11 August 2024). "Landslide at Uganda rubbish dump kills 12". British Broadcasting Corporation. London, United Kingdom. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ Uganda Radio Network (13 August 2024). "NEMA: Waste landfilling at Kiteezi is backwardness". The Independent (Uganda). Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ Peter Sserugo (11 April 2024). "Kiteezi landfill collapse: What we know so far". Daily Monitor. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ Simon Peter Tumwine (11 August 2024). "Kiteezi Garbage Landslide: Six People Confirmed Dead". New Vision. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ Geoffrey Omara (10 August 2024). "Over 10 Die in Kiteezi Waste Mass Collapse". ChimpReports. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ "Death toll from Uganda garbage landslide climbs to 35". Reuters. 16 August 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ "Death toll in Kampala landslide rises to 34, rescue operations continue". Africanews. 16 August 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ Xinhua (12 August 2024). "Kiteezi Tragedy: Death Toll of Garbage Dump Landslide In Uganda Climbs To 21" (The Independent Uganda Quoting Xinhua). The Independent (Uganda). Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ "Road Distance Between Kampala City Center And Gayaza Dundu, Mukono District, Uganda" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ Ivan Kimbowa (23 September 2021). "Mukono Residents Want Garbage Dumping at New KCCA Landfill Halted". Uganda Radio Network. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ Simon Peter Tumwine (8 October 2024). "Government Partners With Ghanaian Investor To Transform Kiteezi Landfill". New Vision. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
- ^ Priscilla Maloba (10 October 2024). "Ghanaian Investor Takes Over Kiteezi Rubbish". Daily Monitor. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 11 October 2024.