Kampala, Uganda – More than a year after the Kiteezi landfill collapse buried homes and land under tons of waste, victims continue struggling for compensation as government officials provide conflicting accounts about payments.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The August 10, 2024 disaster destroyed millions of shillings worth of property, leaving families in financial distress while awaiting redress.
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki acknowledged victims’ claims but stated compensation requires Cabinet approval of funds.
“KCCA lacks resources to compensate victims without national government support,” Buzeki explained.
She emphasized that the authority prioritized rescue operations and environmental mitigation over compensation, attributing delays to bureaucratic hurdles and competing government priorities.
While Buzeki claimed most victims received payments last financial year – with only owners of undeveloped land awaiting settlement – contradictory evidence emerges.
Youth participants in rescue operations report remaining unpaid despite documented work under both the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and temporary KCCA employment clearing drainage systems.
State Minister for Disaster Preparedness Lillian Aber (OPM) maintained all eligible victims under her jurisdiction have been compensated, urging outstanding claimants to formally petition the PM’s office.
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago vehemently rejected the government’s compensation claims as ‘grossly inaccurate,’ insisting that hundreds of affected families remain destitute.
He demanded immediate action, proposing that KCCA redirect its emergency contingency fund typically reserved for disaster response to finally settle the mounting unpaid claims that have left victims ‘in agonizing limbo’ since the tragedy.
“Dozens of families – including those who lost loved ones or suffered total property destruction – remain without assistance twelve months later,” Lukwago revealed.
The protracted compensation process exposes systemic flaws in Uganda’s disaster response mechanisms, raising critical questions about accountability and future emergency management protocols.
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