The leadership of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has said the 135 acres of land in Ddundu Parish, Mukono District earmarked for waste management, is currently undergoing preparatory works for the development of a waste-to-energy facility.

According to the KCCA Executive Director, Dorothy Kisaka, pre-feasibility studies like technical surveys, and soil and groundwater tests to inform sizing and design of waste incineration infrastructure, have been done.

“The land is legally owned by KCCA with all necessary documentation and title deeds in place. It was acquired in 2016 at a cost of Shs5 billion after due diligence and negotiation,” said Kisaka.

She made the revelations while appearing before the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), to respond to issues raised by MPs on the Kiteezi landfill slide and general waste management in Kampala and its metropolitan areas.

The Minister for KCCA and Metropolitan Affairs, Hon. Minsa Kabanda and Deputy Lord Mayor, Doreen Nyanjura, also appeared before the committee in the meeting held on Thursday, 05 September 2024.

Kisaka said the land in Ddundu was originally acquired with plans for the development of a regional waste management facility to replace the Kiteezi landfill, but only two acres have been utilised by the Ministry of Health to set up a medical waste incineration facility.

She added that the leadership and community in Mukono have not supported the intended purpose of the land.

“A significant number of opinion leaders in the area sued KCCA against progressing with its plans to address Kampala’s waste management using the site. However, continuous engagement is being done to address any concerns and ensure the community benefits from the project,” Kisaka said.

In her report on the solid waste management in Kampala, the Deputy Lord Mayor noted that KCCA has only 12 garbage trucks, which she said are not enough to collect waste from 60 per cent of Kampala’s population living in informal settlements.

“For the last one decade, not a single garbage truck has been procured save for the few trucks donated to us by the LVEMP programme. Our [KCCA] fleet has drastically dwindled from 48 trucks to 12, which are in a deplorable state,” said Nyanjura.

She highlighted the engagement with the private sector to use waste collection models that cater for people with low capacity to pay, including in areas like Kisenyi.

“However, the existing private companies that manage waste around Kampala have a low capacity to collect and transport it, and this has limited the adequate management of waste generated in the city,” Nyanjura added.

Kisaka and Nyanjura urged government to fast track the waste-to-energy plant solutions proposed for the Ddundu site, as well as the prerequisite licensing by the various government agencies.

“Building an up-to-date recycling plant will enable KCCA to move away from the outdated and unhealthy method of using dump sites,” said Nyanjura.

The committee chairperson, Hon. Medard Sseggona, queried the failure by the political and technical wings of the authority to operate in tandem, in a bid to manage the Kiteezi landfill slide.

“How can the technical team meet the Chief Executive of the country without the political team? I thought that in the face of this catastrophe, this is the time you should be working cohesively. How do you work together to solve a crisis when you are scattered?” Sseggona asked.

He tasked the KCCA leadership to present details to the committee, about the investor expected to manage the Ddundu waste and treatment and disposal site.