Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has confirmed that the fire which broke out at the decommissioned Kiteezi Landfill on Tuesday evening has been successfully extinguished.
Officials said the blaze was contained with support from the Uganda Police Fire Brigade, and that security has been reinforced at the site to prevent re-entry by unauthorised individuals.
The fire, though put out, rekindled public concern and painful memories of the August 12, 2024, landfill collapse that killed 32 people—mostly waste pickers and residents living around the dump.
That disaster exposed serious lapses in the city’s waste management system and led to the sacking of four top KCCA officials, including former Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka and her deputy David Luyimbazi.
The two, along with two others, are currently facing prosecution for criminal negligence.
In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, KCCA noted that the Minister of State for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, Kabuye Kyofatogabye, and the Authority’s Executive Director Faridah Buzeki had visited the scene to assess the situation.
They appealed to residents and local leaders to remain alert and report any attempts by individuals to access the decommissioned site.
“There has been a fire outbreak at the decommissioned Kiteezi Landfill which has now been contained with the help of the Uganda Police Fire Brigade onsite,” the statement reads in part.
“At the scene, State Minister Kyofatogabye Kabuye, together with KCCA Executive Director Faridah Buzeki, have appealed to local leaders and residents to be vigilant and report any entry into the decommissioned site by unauthorised personnel.”
The Kiteezi landfill, located in Wakiso District, was for years Kampala’s main waste disposal facility, operating far beyond its intended lifespan and capacity.
When the site collapsed in 2024, it was revealed that several internal and external safety warnings had gone unheeded.
A parliamentary probe later attributed the tragedy to gross negligence, mismanagement, and failure to enforce basic environmental and occupational safety standards.
The fallout led to criminal charges against the former executive team at KCCA, with prosecutors citing ignored risk assessments and neglected infrastructure.
Since then, KCCA has moved to shift the city’s waste operations to a planned sanitary landfill at Ddundu in Mukono District.
However, implementation of that project has been slow, and the capital’s waste management remains under pressure.
Although no injuries were reported in the latest fire, its cause remains under investigation.
KCCA has reassured the public that the decommissioned landfill remains under 24-hour watch by the Uganda Police, with the fire brigade on standby.
Residents living near the site have expressed concern over possible future incidents, calling on city authorities to fully seal off the facility and fast-track safer waste disposal alternative.