The Minister for Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and Metropolitan Affairs, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, has clarified that only 11 people are currently missing in the Kiteezi Landfill tragedy, contrary to earlier reports suggesting 28 people are unaccounted for.
She confirmed this on September 5, 2024, while appearing before the Parliament’s Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE).
“The claims of 28 missing people are speculative. According to the Office of the Prime Minister, 11 individuals are still missing,” Kabanda said.
The minister’s statement aimed to provide a definitive figure based on the most recent and reliable data available.
This clarification was part of a broader discussion on waste management issues raised in the December 2023 Auditor General’s report, which the KCCA management was summoned to address.
The Member of Parliament for Busiro East, Medard Sseggona, expressed confusion over the varying figures.
He pointed out that during a visit to the Kiteezi site, the Deputy Resident City Commissioner (RCC) informed them that 28 people were missing, and by that time, 35 bodies had been retrieved.
“Were additional bodies retrieved without being recorded, which could explain the difference in the reported numbers?” Sseggona questioned.
The Kiteezi landfill collapse, which occurred on August 10, 2024, resulted in the deaths of at least 35 people, with several more injured.
