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From Kiteezi to Buyala: The Cost of Kampala’s Waste Crisis

Tracing Uganda’s journey from one landfill disaster to the next.

Introduction

The tragic collapse of the Kiteezi landfill was more than an environmental disaster, it exposed how fragile waste management systems can devastate communities.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director Hajat Sharifah Buzeki is steering a transformation that turns this crisis into opportunity, with a new 230-hectare Integrated Waste Management and Resource Recovery Facility in Buyala.

At ARDHI, we see this as far more than infrastructure. It is a national model of the integrated, resilience-focused approach our Resilient Waste Management Pillar calls for.

A large pile of scrap metal and waste at a landfill against a cloudy sky.
Aerial shot of a large landfill with garbage piles, showcasing waste management challenges.

Waste Without a Plan

The August 2024 Kiteezi garbage slide, which displaced 142 households, was a disaster waiting to happen. The landfill had long outlived its purpose, leading to multiple systemic failures:

Human Cost:

  • 142 households displaced
  • 34 households submerged, awaiting UGX 2.14 billion in compensation
  • 70 flood-affected households requiring structural analysis
  • 8 undeveloped parcels of land pending valuation

Environmental Risks:

  • Uncontrolled gas emissions polluting the air
  • Toxic leachate contaminating groundwater
  • Steep slopes prone to collapse
  • Blocked drainage systems worsening floods

Systemic Failures:

  • Infrastructure operating beyond capacity
  • Weak environmental safeguards
  • Poor waste separation at source
  • Insufficient collection and transport

KCCA has secured a $1 million Japanese government grant via UN-Habitat to address immediate risks. But the real solution lies in Buyala.

ARDHI’s Perspective

The 230-hectare Buyala Integrated Waste Management and Resource Recovery Facility represents exactly the kind of future-oriented approach ARDHI promotes.

What Sets Buyala Apart

Integrated Design: Unlike Kiteezi’s single-purpose model, Buyala combines:

  • Modern waste processing and recycling facilities

  • Resource recovery operations

  • Advanced environmental safeguards

  • Research and development capacity

Economic Opportunities: Creating multiple value streams through:

  • Jobs in waste processing and recycling

  • Industries utilizing recycled inputs

  • Research in waste-to-energy technologies

  • Reduced costs of environmental cleanup

Environmental Protection: Directly addressing Kiteezi’s failures:

  • Advanced leachate collection and treatment

  • Controlled gas capture and utilization

  • Proper drainage and flood management

  • Comprehensive monitoring systems

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Framework for Change

Hajat Buzeki’s approach underscores that facilities alone are not enough – waste management requires systemic change.

Community Engagement and Behavior Change

- Weekend Cleanups: Building a culture of responsibility
- Source Separation Education: Teaching sorting at origin
- No Litter Campaign: Shaping new social norms
- Economic Inclusion: 4,032 vulnerable residents employed through SACCOs under the reservation scheme

Enforcement and Accountability

- Sensitization Campaigns: Media and community outreach
- Legal Enforcement: Arrests for illegal dumping
- Systems Improvement: Better waste containers and reliable collection
- Political Neutrality: Clear rules against politicization of services

From Crisis to Opportunity (Call to Action)

KCCA links waste management to climate resilience through its Urban Forest Management Plan (2023–2029):

Environmental Integration

  • 8,500+ trees planted across the city

  • Restoration of Constitutional Square and Mutesa II monuments

  • Beautified corridors along Nile Avenue and Jinja Road

Climate Resilience

  • Air quality monitoring systems

  • Green corridor expansion

  • Flood prevention via proper waste management

This aligns with ARDHI’s philosophy: resilience demands integrated solutions.

Closing Thoughts

Kampala’s journey from Kiteezi’s collapse to Buyala’s opportunity proves what’s possible with vision and political will. Modern infrastructure, community engagement, economic inclusion, and environmental protection combine into a model of resilience.

 

At ARDHI, we see Kampala as proof that waste management isn’t just about cleanliness – it’s about resilient communities ready to withstand environmental, economic, and social shocks. These lessons must inform nationwide action.

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