A landslide at the Kiteezi landfill near Kampala, Uganda, has killed at least 35 people, underscoring the country’s waste management crisis. The landslide, triggered by heavy rains, buried homes near the landfill, prompting Kampala Mayor Erias Lukwago to declare it a “national disaster.” Following the incident, President Yoweri Museveni ordered compensation for victims’ families and questioned why people were allowed to live near the hazardous site. Local residents, who have long complained about the landfill’s dangers, are now displaced, with many taking refuge in temporary shelters. The Kiteezi landfill, created in 1996, handles about 2,500 tons of waste daily, but inadequate management has led to significant risks. In response to the disaster, the landfill has been closed, and waste is now being redirected to a site 30 kilometers away in Entebbe. Meanwhile, critics have demanded a thorough investigation into the incident as well as urgent improvements to Uganda’s waste management practices.
SOURCE: DW
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