The death toll from a devastating landslide at the Kiteezi garbage dump in Uganda’s capital has tragically risen to 18, officials reported on Sunday.
The catastrophe occurred on Saturday, when heavy rains caused mountains of waste to collapse, engulfing homes and livestock in the northern Kiteezi district.
Local authorities reported that the Kampala Capital City Authority, which operates the landfill, initially reported eight deaths, including two children, but has since revised the toll as search and rescue efforts continue at the site.
Kampala’s metropolitan police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, confirmed that 14 bodies were recovered on Saturday, with an additional four found the following day.
“Many more could still be buried in the heaps as the rescue operation is ongoing,” warned Kampala Mayor Erias Lukwago, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
President Yoweri Museveni, responding to the crisis, directed the military’s special forces to assist in ongoing rescue operations and condemned the situation surrounding the garbage dump.
He questioned how individuals were allowed to reside near what he deemed a “potentially hazardous and dangerous heap” and has ordered the evacuation of all residents living in the “danger zone” surrounding the landfill.
In a bid to provide relief to victims’ families, Museveni announced compensation of five million Ugandan shillings (approximately $1,300) for each fatality and one million shillings ($270) for those injured in the disaster.
The government is working with local agencies and community leaders to address the needs of an estimated 1,000 people displaced by the landslide.
Lukwago described the Kiteezi landfill, established in 1996, as “full to capacity,” receiving approximately 1,500 tonnes of waste daily.
Previous warnings had been issued regarding the health and safety hazards posed to those living and working near the landfill, underscoring the systemic issues at play.
“This is a disaster and was bound to happen,” he stated, accusing corrupt officials of mismanaging funds intended for maintaining the site.
The recent landslide follows a pattern of heavy rains affecting Uganda and other parts of East Africa.
The situation is reminiscent of previous natural disasters in the region, including a mudslide in Ethiopia last month that claimed around 250 lives and another in eastern Uganda in 2010 that resulted in the deaths of over 350 people.
