The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has been granted permission by Mukono Municipal Council to resume dumping waste at the Katikkolo Landfill for a period of two weeks.
This is after KCCA accepted to fund the council’s supplementary budget of around UGX 666 million.
Dr. Ramathan Ggoobi, the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury of the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development (MoFPED), said that the money will be used to grade community roads near Katikkolo.
Ggoobi made these remarks on November 8, 2024, at the ministry’s headquarters while meeting with the KCCA officials.
“Katikkolo Landfill lies on six acres, but Mukono municipality needs 30 acres for the plant. The government valuation indicated that each acre in the area will go for 150 million shillings,” Ggoobi said.
He highlighted that for the compaction of garbage at the site, the government will establish a chain link fence to the dumping site, among others.
Mukono Town Clerk Francis Byabagambi confirmed the development, saying that the funding plan was submitted by the Ministry of Finance for consideration, and it is yet to respond to the matter.
On August 24, 2024, the councillors convened an emergency council at the Collin Hotel, where they voted and agreed to give KCCA three days to dump garbage at the landfill. However, the few councillors that remained defiant held placards expressing their dissatisfaction while the council proceeded.
The decision of the council follows a high-level meeting chaired by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East Africa Affairs, Rebecca Kadaga, where it was suggested that the waste be diverted to Mukono and Wakiso districts.
Despite the council’s decision, Katikkolo residents remain anxious about the potential impact of the landfill, citing inadequate consultation and the lack of a clear plan to manage the increased waste.
The area Member of Parliament, Betty Nambooze, emphasized that Kampala’s waste problem is massive and shouldn’t be shifted to Mukono, calling for a permanent solution.
This temporary arrangement reflects ongoing challenges in waste management within the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area and underscores the need for collaborative efforts between municipalities to find long-term solutions.