Two former city officials face murder charges after a deadly garbage dump disaster killed 35 people. Dorothy Kisaka and David Luyimbazi will stand trial at the High Court for the August 10 tragedy at Kiteezi landfill. The court decided both leaders failed to prevent the catastrophic waste slide that crushed innocent victims. Government investigators found the pair ignored safety warnings about the dangerous dump site. Their negligence directly caused the massive collapse that destroyed homes and lives.
The Kiteezi landfill operated without proper permits for eleven years after its license expired in 2013. Environmental officials knew about the illegal operations but allowed the dump to keep running. The facility received over 450,000 tonnes of waste each year from multiple cities around Kampala. City budget requests for 235 billion shillings to fix the problem were rejected annually since 2015. Parliament and finance ministers classified the landfill repairs as unfunded priorities.
Technical experts warned about waste cliffs and unstable slopes months before the disaster struck. A landfill management officer submitted a detailed report about the imminent dangers in April 2024. The report specifically mentioned risks to public health and safety from continued operations beyond capacity. Both accused officials received this critical warning but took no action to protect nearby communities. The prosecution will use this ignored report as key evidence during the upcoming trial.
The Kiteezi landfill operated without proper permits for eleven years after its license expired in 2013. Environmental officials knew about the illegal operations but allowed the dump to keep running. The facility received over 450,000 tonnes of waste each year from multiple cities around Kampala. City budget requests for 235 billion shillings to fix the problem were rejected annually since 2015. Parliament and finance ministers classified the landfill repairs as unfunded priorities.
Technical experts warned about waste cliffs and unstable slopes months before the disaster struck. A landfill management officer submitted a detailed report about the imminent dangers in April 2024. The report specifically mentioned risks to public health and safety from continued operations beyond capacity. Both accused officials received this critical warning but took no action to protect nearby communities. The prosecution will use this ignored report as key evidence during the upcoming trial.
