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Kiteezi Landfill

Coordinates: 0°24′39″N 32°34′33″E / 0.41083°N 32.57583°E / 0.41083; 32.57583
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Kiteezi Landfill
Kiteezi Kasasiro
Kiteezi Landfill is located in Uganda
Kiteezi Landfill
Location within Uganda
Alternative namesKiteezi Rubbish Dump
General information
LocationKiteezi, Kawempe Division,
Town or cityKampala
CountryUganda
Coordinates0°24′39″N 32°34′33″E / 0.41083°N 32.57583°E / 0.41083; 32.57583
Construction started1996; 28 years ago (1996)
OwnerKampala Capital City Authority

The Kiteezi Landfill (Luganda: Kiteezi Kasasiro), also Kiteezi Rubbish Dump is a solid waste disposal site in Uganda. It is the main solid waste disposal site for the capital city of Kampala, with a projected metropolitan population of approximately 5 million people, as of 2024, serving the homes, businesses and industries of that metropolis.[1]

The landfill hosts an estimated 800 to 1,000 scavengers looking for recyclable items. The landfill receives anywhere between 1,500 and 2,000 tonnes of solid waste every 24 hours from all five divisions of Kampala and neighboring parts of Wakiso District. The "communities around the landfill live with contaminated air, scattered waste and leachate. Water resources for drinking and domestic purposes have become polluted".[1]

Location

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The landfill is located in the neighborhood called Kiteezi, in Kawempe Division in extreme northern Kampala, at the border with Wakiso District. The Landfill is within the city, but the village of Kiteezi extends into Wakiso District, as shown on this map.[2] This is approximately 14 kilometres (9 mi) north of Kampala's central business district.[3] The landfill sits on approximately 35–36 acres (14–15 ha) of land owned by Kampala Capital City Authority.[4] The geographical coordinates of Kiteezi Landfill are 0°24'39.0"N, 32°34'33.0"E (Latitude:0.410833; Longitude:32.575833).[5]

Overview

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Kiteezi Landfill was established in 1996, with financing from the World Bank, to provide a single major depository of the solid waste generated by the city of Kampala. As of 2024 the site receives an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 tonnes of solid waste from the city on a daily basis.[4][6] As of December 2021, an estimated 800 people lived and worked in the landfill, scavenging for recyclables including metal, cardboard, electronics, plastic and such.[4] By August 2024, that number had increased to an estimated 1,000 people.[7]

2024 landfill avalanche

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On the evening of 9 August 2024 and on the morning of 10 August 2024, during a heavy rainstorm, the unstable mountain of garbage at Kiteezi Landfill began to cascade downhill, covering buildings, gardens, livestock and human beings. In the immediate aftermath, 12 human bodies were uncovered and at least one dozen survivors were evacuated to area hospitals. More dead bodies were later discovered in the debris.[7][8][9][10]

Future plans

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With Kiteezi Landfill filled to over-capacity, KCCA purchased 136 acres (55 ha) of land in Dundu (Gayaza Dundu), Mukono District in 2021, with a view to build a new landfill and garbage processing center there. This new site is located approximately 33 kilometres (21 mi) northeast of Kampala City center.[11] There was initial community resistance to the new proposed landfill in Dundu.[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b TTO (2023). "Kiteezi Landfill, Kampala City, Uganda". Toxic Tours (TTO). Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  2. ^ Google (11 August 2024). "Map Showing Northern Boundary of Kampala City, With Kiteezi Landfill Within The Confines of The City" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  3. ^ Google (11 August 2024). "Travel Distance Between Kampala CBD, Uganda And Kiteezi Landfill, Kampala, Uganda" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Shamim Aryampa, Basant Maheshwari, Elly Sabiiti, Najib Bateganya, and Christopher Olobo (2022). "Understanding The Impacts of Waste Disposal Site Closure On The Livelihood of Local Communities In Africa: A Case Study of The Kiteezi Landfill In Kampala, Uganda". Science Direct. 25. doi:10.1016/j.wdp.2021.100391. Retrieved 11 August 2024.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Google (11 August 2024). "Location of Kiteezi Landfill, Kampala, Uganda" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  6. ^ Daily Monitor (10 August 2024). "Heap of garbage buries houses, livestock at Kiteezi landfill". Daily Monitor. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b Joseph Winter (11 August 2024). "Landslide at Uganda rubbish dump kills 12". British Broadcasting Corporation. London, United Kingdom. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  8. ^ Peter Sserugo (11 April 2024). "Kiteezi landfill collapse: What we know so far". Daily Monitor. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  9. ^ Simon Peter Tumwine (11 August 2024). "Kiteezi Garbage Landslide: Six People Confirmed Dead". New Vision. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  10. ^ Geoffrey Omara (10 August 2024). "Over 10 Die in Kiteezi Waste Mass Collapse". ChimpReports. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  11. ^ Google (11 August 2024). "Road Distance Between Kampala City Center And Gayaza Dundu, Mukono District, Uganda" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  12. ^ Ivan Kimbowa (23 September 2021). "Mukono Residents Want Garbage Dumping at New KCCA Landfill Halted". Uganda Radio Network. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
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