By: Derrick Senyonga
KITEEZI, WAKISO
Residents of Kiteezi village in Kasangati Town council, Wakiso District on the morning of Saturday 10th August 2024 were filled with sorrow and grief after a tragic incident that has so far killed 24 people resulting from a garbage sludge that led to the collapse of the Kiteezi landfill.
Acting on a directive from His Excellency the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja coordinated rescue, relief, rehabilitation and recovery efforts of people buried under the rubbish and the removal of all the households in the danger zone.
The Premier on Monday morning chaired a coordination meeting at Kiteezi Police Station before inspecting the site of the tragedy and the campsite set up by the Uganda Red Cross Society together with OPM where displaced and affected persons are registered and provided with immediate relief such as food and shelter among others.
L-R, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, Hon. Kyofatogabye, Hon. Dr. Lillian Aber, Mr. Dunstan Balaba Rand Ms. Dorothy Kisaka at Kiteezi Police Station proceeding to inspect the tragedy site
Hon. Aber Lillian, the Minister of State for Relief, Refugees and Disaster Preparedness, who had camped in Kiteezi since the day of the incident briefed the Prime Minister on the progress that had been made, the gaps and plans of how to expedite the process given the heavy rains that have hampered the process and the need to collect and verify data of existing persons for intervention purposes.
“The Ministry of Disaster delivered 4,000kg of maize flour, 2,000kgs of beans, tarpaulins in addition to what Red Cross has delivered such as blankets, utensils, solar lights and the rest,” she revealed. The minister said that data collection is ongoing and it involves local leaders whose data will be subjected to a security check correlating it against the recently concluded National Census that was conducted by UBOS. Nabbanja guided that also satellite images and information before the incident should be used to ensure that the rightful people receive relief.
“We don’t want to impose the data on the locals, so we want them to bring the data they have and we verify. Where we are now, we are not able to deliver on the pledges the President has promised because there are people who are coming to claim bodies without proper verification but we are happy that the security team at the mortuary is doing their best to ensure sufficient verification is made,” Aber added.
Rt. Hon. Nabbanja , the Prime Minister (with back) interacts with Erias Lukwago the Lord Mayor of Kampala (right) and other officials during the tragedy site inspection
Erias Lukwago, the Kampala Lord Mayor appealed to the Prime Minister on three areas of; emergency response, medium-term intervention and long-term intervention.
Nabbanja appointed a committee that will involve various stakeholders such as the Red Cross, Army, Police, KCCA and local leaders. The team will be headed by the Permanent Secretary in OPM Mr. Dunstan Balaaba who she instructed to meet daily, assess progress and prepare briefs to inform further interventions.
“We have very many excavators doing the rescue and retrieval of all bodies and after doing that work they will reduce on the height of the garbage creating terraces,” Nabbanja added saying that further interventions are being discussed and will be implemented after the rescue and retrieval exercise.
She cautioned against imposters who will want to take advantage of the president’s pledge. President Museveni, had earlier directed that; “the State House Comptroller to financially assist the families of those who died with Sh.5million per person who died and Sh.1 million per person who was injured. This is not part of the legal compensation that may come from the Government if any Government Agency is found to be responsible.”
Latest brief on Kiteezi brief as of Day 4 (13th August 2024)
Nabbanja together with Police, Army and other officials inspect the 200m buffer zone
1. 02 more bodies retrieved which brings the total number of the dead to 24.
2. Registration is going on at the temporary shelter set up at Kiteezi COU Primary School. So far 92 displaced persons registered.
3. Ongoing efforts by various stakeholders urging and sensitizing affected locals to relocate or seek refuge at the temporary shelter.
4. OPM and Uganda Red Cross Society extending aid to the affected persons.
5. Rt. Hon. Prime Minister chaired a meeting to discuss alternative and more innovative garbage management interventions
6.Nabbanja directed Mulago Hospital to ensure body management is done well and without charging affected families.
7. The PM reiterated H.E the president’s directive for investigations to get to the real root cause of the Kiteezi tragedy.
8. Appeal to well-wishers to contribute relief items including clothes, warm wear, food, etc.
9. PM directed for enforcement of a 200meter buffer zone around the risky areas of Lusanja, Kitetika and Kiteezi villages.
10. Government will compensate affected residents within the 200meter buffer zone.
11. PM directed OPM Permanent Secretary to ensure that the excavators’ operators are adequately facilitated.
Aerial view of the Kiteezi tragedy (Courtesy of UBC)
