Deadly Landslide of Garbage Displays Uganda's Missed Opportunity
After floods wash away a heaving dumpsite — killing at least 35 people — Kampala is looking for better ways to deal with its trash.
Bags of plastic waste, collected to be sold for recycling in Kampala.
Photographer: Luke Dray/BloombergThe collapse of Kampala’s only landfill over dozens of homes in Uganda’s capital underscores the dangers of poor waste management.
Over almost three decades, what started off in 1997 as a big garbage pit for the city grew into a 15-hectare (37-acre) mountain of rubbish spanning the size of 27 soccer fields. After days of unrelenting rainfall in August, tons of the waterlogged mass at the Kiteezi dumpsite slid over sleeping families, killing at least 35 people.