Chaos has erupted in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, after the city’s garbage, which had been carelessly dumped and neglected, led to a devastating tragedy. More than 34 lives have been lost, and the government now estimates the damage to have affected nearly 100 residences.
What sounds like a surreal nightmare is, in fact, a grim reality. State officials, particularly from Uganda Police, fear the death toll could rise to 70.
Kampala is a city where many residents, seemingly indifferent, treat their surroundings as a dumping ground. Garbage is discarded from cars, into water channels, vegetation, and across compounds without a second thought. The organic foods its residents gleefully consume also contribute to the 2,500 tonnes of waste generated each day.
In the 1980s, the government recognised the severity of this issue and hastily sought land to manage the growing waste problem. The solution? A dumping site in Kiteezi in Wakiso District. The site now has more than 50 dead bodies trapped beneath its surrounding debris under layers of mud and rotting garbage after last Saturday’s debacle.
More than 50 survivors have found refuge with the Red Cross and the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) near the site of the incident.
Subscribe our newsletter to stay updated
Thank you for subscribing!
Subscribe our newsletter to stay updated
Thank you for subscribing!
