KCCA, NEMA sued by Buyaala village residents over garbage dump
Residents of Buyala village in Muduuma sub-county, Mpigi district, have dragged Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to the High court in Kampala, accusing them of violating their right to a clean and safe environment.
The dispute stems from KCCA’s acquisition of 200 acres of land in Buyala between December 2024 and January 2025 to establish a landfill after the collapse of Kiteezi landfill on August 10, 2024, which killed more than 30 people.
Residents say KCCA promised to construct a modern waste treatment facility, but instead resorted to open dumping without pollution controls. The case, filed before the Civil Division of the High court in Kampala, lists lawyer Michael Balimukuubo and sixteen others as applicants.
They argue that the landfill has exposed them to hazardous emissions, contaminated water sources, and deprived them of a safe living environment. Court documents indicate that more than 100 garbage trucks deliver waste to the site daily, with some parking in residential areas at night due to site closures.
“The landfill that was established is a dumping site; it is not a landfill. It is a dumping site for chemical waste, it’s a dumping site for medical waste, it is a dumping site for all manner of types of waste, and that is dangerous to our society. Our ways of living, our societal norms have been tortured, decimated by the fact that there is just so many people coming in. The trucks are unruly, the boys who work on those trucks are unruly and society has been disorganised,” said Balimukuubo, one of the residents.
He says his Shs 720 million home has become uninhabitable due to foul emissions, while his children are suffering from persistent respiratory illnesses. The petitioners also accuse NEMA of neglecting its duty to regulate KCCA’s activities.
They are seeking court orders to halt further dumping, establish a buffer zone, stop garbage truck parking in residential areas, and compensate them for property damage and health risks. Alternatively, they want government support to resettle elsewhere. The case has been fixed for hearing on October 1 before justice Joyce Kavuma.
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