Hasham Cheema reporting for BBC News in Kampala tells the heartbreaking story of 22-year-old rubbish collector Okuku Prince, who recalls the tragic loss of his best friend at a massive rubbish dump in Uganda’s capital.
Last August, a landslide at the Kiteezi dump claimed the lives of 30 people, including Prince’s friend Sanya Kezia. Despite government efforts to recover bodies, many victims remain buried under tons of garbage without a proper burial.
Prince, a former law student turned rubbish-picker, now struggles to make ends meet by collecting and selling discarded items from the dump. The collapse has left him in financial distress and forced him to relocate due to safety concerns.
The incident has shed light on Uganda’s youth unemployment crisis, forcing many like Prince to risk their health and abandon their dreams to survive.
The tragedy at Kiteezi has sparked debates on waste management practices, with experts pointing out the lack of recycling and incineration facilities at the landfill. Urban planners emphasize the need for proper monitoring and audits to prevent future disasters.
Despite proposals to decommission the dump, limited funding and power struggles within the government have hindered progress. The KCCA has relied on external donors for support, while the central government has yet to allocate funds for the necessary reforms.
As Kampala grapples with the aftermath of the collapse, authorities are working on plans to improve waste management and reduce unnecessary garbage in the city. However, they stress the importance of public cooperation in maintaining a clean and sustainable environment. Hasham Cheema Saat ini orang-orang membayar salah satu dari tujuh perusahaan sampah swasta yang beroperasi di Kampala untuk mengumpulkan sampah mereka, yang semuanya dibundel bersama dengan sedikit pemikiran tentang daur ulang.
“Kami belum mengubah pola pikir warga untuk memilah sampah,” kata Bapak Kunobere kepada BBC.
“Jika Anda memilah, sampah memiliki tujuan yang berbeda. Jika Anda mencampur, semuanya pergi ke satu tempat – tempat pembuangan sampah.”
Para ahli mengatakan inisiatif seperti itu penting tetapi tidak menangani kekurangan struktural yang lebih besar di Kiteezi.
Dan bagi orang-orang yang kehidupannya telah hancur oleh peristiwa terakhir di sana, ini terlalu sedikit terlambat.
“Mereka menjanjikan kami kompensasi, tapi saya belum menerima apa pun – hampir semua orang juga mengeluh,” kata Bapak Prince kepada BBC.
“Kami kehilangan teman kami. Semua yang terjadi dalam proses itu adalah kesedihan.”
Pelaporan tambahan oleh Natasha Booty.
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Getty Images/BBC”