By George Bukenya
Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago faults KCCA technical wing for missing using the Ugx 4.1billion, funds budgeted for managing garbage at Kiteezi dumping site.
According to Lukwago if such funds were being put to proper usage the tragedy would have been avoided. He said this while addressing reporters at his office.
“Every year we allocate UGX 4.1 billion to cater for the management of garbage at Kiteezi Landfill but the political wing have never received accountability of the said funds,” Lukwago said.
He also revealed that other areas like Wakiso, Mukono Municipality and Makindye Ssabagabo also use the same dumping site and this has made get filled so fast.
Lukwago implored companies tendered to collect garbage from Kampala’s five divisions to also procure their own landfill places because the law requires that and KCCA has just been lineate allowing them also to pour at Kiteezi meant for KCCA trucks.
The deputy Executive Director of KCCA Eng.David Luyimbazi also retaliated and attacked Lord Mayor for putting the blame on the technical workers accusing him for looking for political gain instead of agitating for everlasting solutions to see that such tragedy doesn’t occur anymore.
Luyimbazi rubbished the Mayor’s words saying that the funds allocated to the Authority to cater fir Waste management are very minimal and cannot allow them to work effectively and efficiently.
“The fault shouldn’t be entirely put on KCCA because this was an accident over which we have no control. Besides that the UGX 4.1 billion the Lord Mayor is talking about looks huge as a lampsam but when you break it down per day and per month in regards to expenses that the Authority is supposed to incur becomes very small compared to the load of work to be carried out,” Eng Luyimbazi explained.
The Deputy Executive Director also made the breakdown of the day’s expenses where he said that more than UGX 11million is spent per day alone on spreading the garbage minus allowance to the workers.
“ We hired two machines, one excavator and a bulldozer each cost 2.5 million making it 5 million and then fuel used making the daily expenditure more than 10 million.’’ He said.
He denied the allegations that KCCA councillors had warned the Executive about the possible accident that would occur as said by the Lord Mayor, we have instead been warning government and politicians here.
Luyimbazi also revealed that KCCA is in talks with the Entebbe City leadership to get permission for taking garbage to Katabi town council for at least for months to allow for preparation of the remaining four acres that can last for one year as the Authority is looking for another area to pour Waste.
While addressing reporters at his office, Luyimbazi also revealed that KCCA was planning to close the Kiteezi landfill but was only limited by funds. He said that after one year the site should be closed.
A total of 30 bodies were reported recovered today 2024-08-14 and more than 120 victims placed in a camp at Kiteezi Primary School play ground in a tent as the rescue team continues to search for more bodies from the landfill.