A group of volunteers who recovered bodies after the August 9, 2024 Kiteezi landfill collapse have marched to Kampala City Hall, demanding payment for what they say was four months of unpaid work.
The disaster, which killed more than 30 people when tonnes of garbage buried nearby homes, left many survivors displaced.
While official rescue teams relied on machinery, residents like Isaac Tushabemukama dug through the rubble with bare hands to reach the injured and retrieve the dead.
Two weeks after the tragedy, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) issued job letters promising Shs30,000 per day for 120 days—totalling Shs3.6 million per worker.
The volunteers say they signed in daily but never received a shilling.
Yesterday, KCCA offered them Shs280,000 each—equivalent to Shs2,333 per day—plus lunch provided during the recovery period.
The volunteers rejected the offer, saying it was far below the agreed amount.
“They say we worked for 120 days, but the pay they’re offering is a joke. We risked our lives and now they treat us like we don’t matter,” Isaac said.
KCCA spokesperson Daniel Muhumuza Nuwabiine has disputed the claim, saying the authority has no employment record with the stated Shs30,000 rate.
He insisted most volunteers were paid or given meals, and that only a few had unresolved claims due to mismatched registration details.
The volunteers argue they were excluded from survivor benefits and relief supplies because they stayed at the site to help rather than register at the camp.
A year later, they say the fight for their wages is now about dignity as much as money.