The future of Kampala Capital City Authority’s (KCCA) Buyala landfill in Mpigi District remains uncertain, with executive director Sharifah Buzeki saying the authority is prioritising a shift from dumping garbage to converting waste into valuable products.
Buzeki said KCCA was in advanced stages of procuring companies with modern technology to manage waste, recover reusable materials and reduce reliance on conventional dumping.
She made the remarks on October 16, 2026, when members of Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) visited the facility to examine concerns raised in the Auditor General’s report.
The visit also focused on questions surrounding the reported presidential directive to relocate the landfill because of concerns about its proximity to the Kampala Storage Terminal, an oil facility in the area.
Committee chairperson Nkunyingi Muwada pressed KCCA to explain how it intended to implement the directive, particularly whether it had made concrete plans to move the landfill elsewhere.
“How are you implementing the presidential order as far as the relocation is concerned?” Muwada asked.
In response, Buzeki said the authority was concentrating on implementing the President’s guidance to move away from conventional dumping and embrace waste recovery and value addition.
“As a career civil servant, I know what a presidential directive is, a pronouncement, a parliamentary resolution. As an institution, we know the rightful procedure of how we shall treat the directive,” Buzeki told the MPs.
She added that the authority’s long-term plan was to ensure garbage was processed into useful products rather than simply deposited at a dumpsite.
“I want to emphasise that our journey is not dumping but adding value, and that is what the President directed us. Whether here at Buyala or somewhere else, no more dumping,” she said.
However, her response did not provide a clear timeline for relocating the facility or identify an alternative site where Kampala’s garbage could be taken if the relocation proceeds.
The uncertainty leaves questions about the future of the facility, which KCCA secured after the closure of the Kiteezi landfill created an urgent need for a new place to dispose of the city’s waste.
Buzeki said the authority was in advanced stages of procuring companies with the technology needed to improve waste management.
“We are in an advanced stage of procuring companies with technology to manage and improve the garbage,” she said.
The planned approach is intended to recover reusable materials and transform waste into valuable products, reducing the amount of garbage that has to be dumped.
The committee is examining the facility as part of its scrutiny of issues raised by the Auditor General, including the management of public resources invested in waste disposal and the need for proper safeguards.
Another issue raised during the visit was the distance between the landfill and the Kampala Storage Terminal.
KCCA officials told the MPs that about 460 acres of privately owned land separated the authority’s property from the oil terminal.
“The land between our land and the terminal belongs to businessman Charlie Lubega and is 460 acres. We are not any closer to the terminal,” Buzeki said.
The explanation was intended to clarify the relationship between the two properties amid concerns about the landfill’s location near the oil storage facility.
KCCA’s Buyala property covers about 230 acres, although the authority has been using only a small portion of the land for current waste disposal operations.
According to information presented during the visit, about 10 acres are currently in use, with approximately 1,300 garbage collectors and waste pickers involved in activities associated with the site.
The facility is part of KCCA’s wider effort to find a lasting solution to Kampala’s waste management challenges after the city’s previous disposal arrangements came under pressure.
The authority has faced growing demands to improve how it handles garbage, particularly after concerns about the safety and environmental impact of conventional dumping at Kiteezi.
Buyala has also become contentious, with some residents resisting the establishment of the facility in their area, while KCCA has maintained that the location was selected as a suitable option for managing Kampala’s waste.
The relocation question has gained further attention because the landfill is near the Kampala Storage Terminal, prompting concerns about whether the two facilities can safely operate in the same area.
The committee is expected to scrutinise the issues surrounding the Buyala facility and seek clarity on the measures being taken to ensure safe and sustainable waste management.
