The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), in partnership with UN Habitat, has secured a $1 million grant from the Government of Japan to stabilize high-risk zones at the Kiteezi landfill in Wakiso District. The move follows a deadly garbage landslide in August 2024 that exposed residents to serious environmental and health hazards.
The 12-month initiative, titled “Emergency Technical Assistance to KCCA, Rehabilitating the Kiteezi Landfill”, was launched this week and aims to decommission about 7 acres of the 39-acre landfill—roughly 250,000 cubic meters of waste. The intervention will deploy the Fukuoka Method, a modern waste management technology developed in Japan.
“This initiative is timely. Our community has been anxious and waiting patiently for action to minimize further danger,” said Kyadondo East MP, Muwada Nkunyingi, who applauded the project and the Japanese Government’s support.
The scope of work includes reshaping steep slopes, relocating unstable garbage heaps, installing ventilation to release methane gas, setting up leachate collection systems, and building treatment ponds. The project also includes training local personnel in landfill safety and disaster preparedness.
Speaking on behalf of UN Habitat, Phiona Nshemereirwe praised KCCA’s quick response after the 2024 disaster.
“After the garbage slide last year, we partnered with KCCA to write a proposal to the Japanese Government. By November 2024, an environmental assessment was conducted, and by February, we had secured the $1 million grant,” she said.
She emphasized the competitiveness of the funding, noting that only Uganda and Ethiopia were selected for landfill emergency responses across Africa.
“The team leading this effort will include Prof. Mastfujji, a top Japanese expert in the field, so we’re confident in the quality of the work,” she added.
Dr. Sarah Zalwango, Acting Director of Public Health and Environment at KCCA, who represented the Executive Director at the launch, expressed appreciation to the Kiteezi community.
“We recognize the delays in the compensation process, but we are committed to resolving all pending matters. Your support for this project is commendable, and we’ll continue seeking additional funding to decommission the entire site,” she said.
Kasangati Town Council Mayor, Muwonge Tom, expressed sympathy to those affected by the previous landslide and urged leaders to avoid politicizing the intervention.
“Preserving lives should be our top priority,” he said.
KCCA spokesperson Daniel Muhumuza Nuweabine also announced that the 9-kilometer Mpelerwe–Kiteezi–Kiti Road, the landfill’s main access route, is scheduled for upgrading under the African Development Bank-funded Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation Project.
“This project involves no compensation component, so we urge local leaders to sensitize residents to cooperate on matters of right of way,” he said.
A UN Habitat official confirmed that preparations for the project, including manpower and equipment mobilization, are underway.