A Ugandan court has granted bail to three former top officials of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) – Dorothy Kisaka, David Luyimbazi, and Daniel Okello – who face charges related to the August 10 Kiteezi landfill disaster that claimed 35 lives and injured 21 others.
The three accused were granted a cash bail of 5 million Ugandan shillings, with their sureties required to execute a non-cash bond of 100 million shillings. They have been ordered to deposit their original passports in court and are prohibited from leaving the country without permission.
The hearing has been adjourned until November 26.
Andrew Mwenda, a media analyst, has criticized the arrests, stating that they are a strategic move by the police to appease public anger rather than a genuine attempt to address the root causes of the tragedy.
Mwenda argues that the government’s failure to provide adequate funding for waste management and its neglect of Kampala’s infrastructure are the true culprits behind the disaster.
KCCA had repeatedly warned of the risks posed by the Kiteezi landfill, which was operating beyond capacity.
The authority had requested funds to decommission the site, but its pleas were ignored.
