Kiteezi victims still homeless

KAMPALA - Imagine living in your own home for over 14 years, but in just two minutes, you lose it all. 

Now picture being forced to reside in a single room with seven other people, uncertain when or if your life will ever return to normal.
 
That is the reality for Zahara Nasozi, a mother of six and resident of Lusanja village near the Kitezi landfill in Wakiso district, where a garbage slide claimed over 30 people and destroyed over 70 homes, including Nasozi’s house. 

Nasozi and her husband bought land in Lusanja in 2012 and constructed a four-bedroom house. By the time the tragedy struck on August 9, they had lived peacefully there with their children for 10 years, even managing to add two rental units to support their income.

Disaster strikes 

Following the deadly garbage slide, authorities evacuated the affected families to a temporary camp. But two months later, they were handed sh2m to find accommodation while awaiting government compensation. 

Although she took the money, she was not contented. 

“I was a landlord with six children. How can they give me just sh2m? That can’t cover a decent space for my family,” she says. 

With no other choice, she rented a single room, which she partitioned with plywood — one side for her small salon business and the other for living space. 

As we spoke, the room was cramped and chaotic. Jerrycans, saucepans, and other items filled the space, and houseflies buzzed relentlessly. 

A three-decker bed with a stained mattress takes up one side of the room, piled with disorganised clothes. 

Nearby, a thin four-inch mattress lies on the floor where Nasozi and her husband sleep. Scattered around them are household utensils. 

“It’s hard to stay organised in such a small space,” she says. The lack of privacy, she adds, is painful and humiliating. 

“Living with six children who are all old enough to understand things makes it difficult. You have to play hide-and-seek while dressing or undressing. And since we no longer have toilets in the house, we sometimes use buckets late at night to urinate, and the children hear everything.” 

Eight months after the disaster, her biggest frustration remains the lack of action from the Government. 

“Let them do proper valuation. We’re not asking for charity. They showed us orthorectified maps of our homes. So let them act accordingly,” she appealed.

Nasozi is not alone 

Winnie Namakula, another victim, lost her three-bedroom house. Her business premises are now home to her, her husband and their five children. 

“We’re just surviving, not living,” she said. Caroline Nabbanja, who now houses her eight grandchildren, three daughters and a son — 13 people in total — was forced out of the camp and given sh2m. She rented a two-room house at sh300,000 per month. 

“I managed three months, but after that, I failed. The landlord used to lock the gate during the day and complained that my family was over using his latrines,” she recalls. 
On January 8, this year, out of money, Nabbanja moved back into her house, despite it being marked as part of the danger zone. 

“I had no nowhere to go without compensation,” she said. 

But returning home brought new challenges. Water from the abandoned garbage heap floods her backyard and attracts swarms of mosquitoes. 

“Now the mosquitoes are going to kill us,” Nabbanja says. 

Pastor Elisa Ssebuma, who also returned to his deserted home, lives in similar dangerous conditions. His house is surrounded by bushes and open drainages.

Sh2b misappropriated 

To make matters worse, a report recently presented by the KCCA executive committee revealed that the Kampala ministry had misappropriated sh2.5b meant for disaster recovery efforts in Kiteezi — spending it instead on political mobilisation. 

KCCA now says it is still waiting for the Government valuer’s report to determine compensation.

Valuer, KCCA speak out 

A meeting held at Kiteezi Police Station and attended by KCCA executive director Sharifah Buzeki and representatives from the Government Valuer’s Office, discussed key concerns regarding property valuation. 

Sheila Birungi, the KCCA director for gender, community services and production, said the main issues revolve around the valuation of 48 houses that were engulfed by the garbage slide, including 12 cases where families were unable to exhume the bodies of their loved ones who died in the tragedy; 24 households whose homes were demolished to make way for excavation and 71 individuals who were affected by subsequent flooding. 

Sandra Amanya, a representative from the lands ministry, said the Government is starting with the valuation of the 24 houses that were demolished under the directive of the Office of the Prime Minister. 

Amanya further explained that the ministry used Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to map the exact coordinates of the affected homes. 

“This helped us determine the value of each property based on pre-disaster data,” she noted.

Residents’ concerns 

However, former residents questioned the credibility of the valuation process. Many felt that the process focused solely on housing structures and neglected land valuation. 

Michael Musumba, a government valuer, presented an overview of the valuation process, but his explanation centred on the houses alone.

Area MP reacts

Kyadondo East MP Muwada Nkunyingi raised further concerns regarding the use of GPS coordinates alone. 

“While Google Maps and GIS can give coordinates, how do valuers determine what was inside the homes? These contents form a major part of the total property value,” he said. 
Nkunyingi advised residents to pursue legal remedies if dissatisfied with the compensation offered.