Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on Central Government has questioned officials from the Ministry of Kampala over the use of Shs500 million meant to support compensation efforts following the Kiteezi landfill collapse.
Committee chairperson Patrick Nsamba Oshabe said officials had failed to explain convincingly how the money was spent and how much compensation had been recommended for the affected families.
“My question is very simple. How did you use the Shs500 million? Secondly, as the coordinator of the project, how much had you recommended for compensation?” Nsamba asked.
The Kassanda North MP questioned why money from the contingency fund had been spent on physical planning, mapping and public sensitisation without producing a clear waste management plan after the disaster exposed weaknesses in Kampala’s waste disposal system.
Nsamba also criticised the ministry for failing to coordinate with Mpigi district over the management of the proposed Buyala dumping site, warning that the project could have serious consequences for the district.
“One of the strongest departments in your ministry should have been waste management,” he said, arguing that the ministry lacked a dedicated department and policy specialists to guide waste management in Kampala and the Greater Kampala area, including Wakiso, Mpigi and Mukono.
Bunyaruguru MP Benjamin Cadet questioned outgoing undersecretary Monica Edemacu over the failure to prioritise plans to relocate the Buyala landfill.
He also raised concerns about deteriorating buildings in Kampala and urged the ministry to prioritise garbage collection equipment over less urgent expenditure.
Kyotera District Woman MP Fortunate Nantongo asked new undersecretary Catherine Nassuna about plans to relocate Buyala, citing a presidential directive concerning its proximity to the proposed oil refinery.
She said the government initially assessed 34 affected people, with the Uganda government valuer and the ministries responsible for lands, water and the environment supporting the process.
Nsamba, however, questioned reports that some victims received only Shs2 million, alleging that the handling of the funds required further scrutiny.
