The Kiteezi landfill disaster that claimed 23 lives on August 10, 2024, has sparked widespread outrage and raised questions about whether the tragedy could have been prevented. Recent revelations show that warnings about the landfill’s stability were issued nearly a decade ago, but these warnings appear to have been ignored by policymakers, leading to the catastrophic landslide following weeks of heavy rainfall.
The Kiteezi landfill, covering 36 acres and located northeast of Kampala, is the city’s only waste disposal site, serving a population of approximately four million. For years, city authorities have struggled to find a new location for waste disposal, but to no avail. This failure to act on multiple fronts has now culminated in a disaster that has left the nation reeling.
A Forewarned Disaster
In 2015, a group of researchers from Makerere University and the University of Cape Town published a study titled Study of Slope Stability and Settlement Characteristics of Mpererwe Landfill. The study was led by Bernard Wasswa, Dickens Kakitahi, Samuel Jjuuko, and James Semuwemba from Makerere University, alongside Denis Kalumba from the University of Cape Town. Their findings provided a detailed analysis of the risks associated with the landfill’s steep slopes, which were deemed particularly vulnerable during heavy rains.
The researchers conducted extensive field assessments and used numerical modeling software (PLAXIS 2D) to evaluate the stability of the landfill’s slopes. They identified several critical regions where the slopes were dangerously steep, including a slope with an angle of 36 degrees. This angle, the study warned, was precarious, especially under conditions of poor drainage, which could exacerbate the risk of slope failure.
In addition to slope stability, the study also focused on the settlement characteristics of the waste mass at the landfill. The researchers found that the landfill contained a high concentration of fine materials, which, combined with the organic nature of the waste, contributed to the overall instability of the slopes. The study’s findings indicated that the waste mass was undergoing continuous settlement, further increasing the risk of a catastrophic failure.
Ignored Warnings and Missed Opportunities
Despite the clear warnings outlined in the 2015 study, little to no action was taken by the authorities to address the identified risks. The researchers had made several recommendations to mitigate the potential hazards, including reinforcing the landfill’s slopes, improving drainage systems, and establishing a robust monitoring system to track changes in slope stability. However, these recommendations were not implemented, leaving the landfill vulnerable to the eventual landslide.
The failure to act on these warnings has been criticized as a significant oversight by policymakers, who are now facing scrutiny for their role in the disaster. President Yoweri Museveni has ordered an investigation into the circumstances that led to the tragedy, including how people were allowed to live so close to what he described as a “potentially hazardous and dangerous heap.”
A Broader Failure of Policy and Practice
The Kiteezi landfill disaster highlights a broader issue of disconnect between academic research and policy implementation in Uganda. Dr. Sabastiano Rwengabo, a policy researcher at the Centre for Basic Research, noted that this tragedy is a testament to the failure of policymakers to engage with academic findings that could inform better decision-making.
Dr. Rwengabo emphasized that the reluctance of policymakers to heed academic warnings stems from a disinterest in solving societal problems and a focus on personal gain. He pointed out that similar warnings about the Katonga Bridge and Lwera wetland were also ignored, leading to predictable but avoidable outcomes.
“The irony of our time, especially in Africa, is that our policymakers and policy implementers are distanced both from academic research and from everyday realities of our people,” Dr. Rwengabo said. “The Kiteezi garbage-fill accident is testimony to this disinterest in serving people. Research has been carried out about it, but do you think our policy practitioners read it? They don’t!”
Moving Forward: Lessons from the Tragedy
As rescuers continue to search for survivors amid the wreckage, the focus has shifted to what can be done to prevent similar disasters in the future. The 2015 study’s recommendations remain relevant, including the need for immediate reinforcement of the landfill’s slopes, improved drainage systems, and regular monitoring of the site. Additionally, there is a pressing need for policymakers to take academic research seriously and incorporate it into their decision-making processes.
The Kiteezi landfill disaster serves as a tragic reminder of the consequences of neglecting expert warnings and the importance of proactive management in preventing such catastrophes. As Kampala continues to grapple with its waste management challenges, the hope is that this disaster will spur meaningful change in how such risks are addressed in the future.
DETAILS OF THE RESEARCH…log on to…https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Samuel-Jjuuko/publication/288629772_Study_of_Slope_Stability_and_Settlement_Characteristics_of_Mpererwe_Landfill/links/56825bb608ae197583910c2e/Study-of-Slope-Stability-and-Settlement-Characteristics-of-Mpererwe-Landfill.pdf