Former KCCA directors committed to High Court
CAPTION: The former Executive Director, Dorothy Kisaka (L), Deputy Executive Director, Engineer David Luyimbazi (R), and Director of Public Health, Dr. Daniel Okello (C). (File photos).
By Our reporter
WAKISO – The Kasangati Chief Magistrates Court has committed former Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka and her deputy, Engineer David Luyimbazi Ssali, to the High Court for trial on 57 charges relating to manslaughter and causing death or bodily harm through negligent or rash acts. The charges arise from the catastrophic collapse of the Kiteezi Landfill on August 10, 2024, which claimed several lives and left many others injured.
Initially, the duo had been jointly charged with KCCA’s Director of Public Health, Dr. Daniel Okello. However, charges against Okello were withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Jane Frances Abodo, before Wednesday’s proceedings before Chief Magistrate Beatrice Khainza. A 45-page summary of evidence signed by Assistant DPP Lino Anguzu details that postmortems conducted at Mulago Hospital and KCCA mortuaries confirmed deaths from traumatic asphyxia, suffocation, and blunt force injuries. Other victims sustained grievous and serious bodily harm and were admitted to various health facilities.
According to the DPP, investigations revealed that the Kiteezi Landfill, initially opened in 1996 and upgraded in 2001, had long surpassed its 10-year operational lifespan by 2013. The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) had since declined to renew its license, citing critical environmental and safety risks. Despite this, KCCA continued operations at the site in defiance of regulatory directives.
Evidence shows that the landfill continued receiving waste from across the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, including from unauthorized private entities operating without licenses or contracts. By the time of its collapse, Kiteezi was handling over 450,000 tons of waste annually—far beyond its engineered capacity. Technical findings indicate severe mismanagement of the site, despite an annual KCCA budget of at least UGX 3.1 billion earmarked for its maintenance.
Investigations revealed that vital practices such as daily compaction and leachate treatment had been neglected since 2015, causing hazardous waste heaps and unstable slopes that eventually gave way. The prosecution asserts that Kisaka and Luyimbazi, as top KCCA officials, had full knowledge of the deteriorating condition of the landfill. Between December 2023 and July 2024, both received internal and external reports warning of an imminent collapse.
A report dated April 18, 2024, from the landfill’s management officer reportedly called for urgent interventions, including reinforcement of infrastructure, improved drainage, and community sensitization. Despite receiving this report, the duo allegedly took no action. More warnings followed in July 2024 from the KCCA Internal Audit Director and the Solid Waste Management Project Coordinator, who described the site as a “national disaster in waiting.”
Again, prosecutors say, Kisaka and Luyimbazi failed to act. On July 2, 2024, the Director of Public Health formally requested emergency funding to implement recommended safety measures. However, it wasn’t until August 21—11 days after the tragedy and amidst public outrage—that Kisaka reportedly approved funding. Prosecutors claim that several proposals from private investors to rehabilitate or decommission the landfill were either ignored or rejected, and identified alternative dumping sites were not acted upon.
The DPP argues that the accused failed in their statutory duty of care by allowing continued operations at an unlicensed, structurally compromised site and by ignoring repeated technical warnings. The prosecution says their inaction directly resulted in the loss of life, injuries, and property destruction. Kisaka served as KCCA’s chief administrator and accounting officer, while Luyimbazi directly oversaw the Directorate of Public Health and Environment, which managed the landfill.
Between January and July 2024, both reportedly received routine briefings about the risks at Kiteezi. The prosecution intends to present extensive evidence, including expert technical reports, internal KCCA correspondence, postmortem and medical records, NEMA findings, and police investigations. Both accused were declared mentally and physically fit to stand trial. The date for the High Court trial is yet to be fixed. Kisaka and Luyimbazi remain out on bail pending their appearance.
All three officials, including Dr. Okello, who has since been cleared, were relieved of their duties in 2024 by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in the public interest following a report from the Inspectorate of Government. The Kiteezi landfill, located in Kasangati Town Council, Wakiso District, serves Kampala, Wakiso, and Mukono municipalities.
Its collapse on August 10, 2024, is regarded as one of Uganda’s worst waste management disasters. Kisaka had served as Executive Director of KCCA since July 23, 2020, following her nomination by President Museveni and endorsement by the Public Service Commission. Her duties included overseeing service delivery, financial management, and environmental policy implementation within the city.
