Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has ruled out plans to expand the Buyala landfill, saying it intends to establish an integrated waste management facility that prioritises recycling, composting and material recovery over continued dumping.
KCCA Director of Public Health Dr Sarah Zalwango told Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) during an inspection of the landfill that the authority currently occupies approximately 10 acres and has no plans to expand the dumping site.
Zalwango also clarified that the land occupied by the landfill does not directly border property belonging to the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), explaining that a separate piece of land measuring approximately 400 acres lies between the landfill and the area discussed during the inspection.
She said KCCA plans to establish a composting facility capable of processing 500 tonnes of waste, alongside material recovery facilities to be operated by private companies.
The authority is currently evaluating bids from private waste management companies following an advertisement inviting interested firms to participate in the project in July.
Zalwango said the planned facilities would help create demand for waste by converting discarded materials into useful products, including compost, tiles and bricks, depending on the technologies adopted by individual investors.
“We want to have a hub of material recovery facilities that will create demand for this waste, so that people begin to use waste as a resource,” she said.
She added that KCCA intends to move away from a system in which most waste is dumped towards one that promotes recycling, composting and the recovery of valuable materials.
Buyala receives up to 2,500 tonnes of waste daily
Zalwango said the landfill receives an average of approximately 1,200 tonnes of municipal waste daily, delivered by about 180 trucks. However, the volume can rise to between 2,300 and 2,500 tonnes on some days, particularly following National Cleaning Day activities.
About 80 per cent of the waste received is organic, according to Zalwango, creating challenges associated with the generation of leachate as the material decomposes.
The landfill receives waste from Kampala and neighbouring areas, including Wakiso, Kasangati, Kira and Gayaza.
To manage the incoming waste, KCCA has established a receiving bay where waste is compacted and periodically covered with murram to stabilise the waste mass and control unpleasant odours.
Zalwango said engineers had installed a geomembrane liner to help prevent leachate from seeping into the ground, alongside pipes that direct the contaminated liquid to collection and treatment facilities.
The site also has gas ventilation pipes intended to manage gases produced by decomposing waste and reduce associated safety risks.
A weighbridge enables KCCA to record the tonnage delivered, monitor the types of waste received and track trucks bringing waste to the facility.
Zalwango explained that leachate, the contaminated liquid produced when water passes through waste or organic materials decompose, is collected in a series of ponds where it undergoes treatment and stabilisation before discharge.
She said samples are collected for testing in collaboration with relevant laboratories, including those associated with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Ministry of Health, to assess the quality of the treated liquid.
KCCA has also installed air quality monitors at strategic locations around the landfill to measure emissions and assess potential effects on neighbouring communities.
The measures are intended to reduce the environmental risks associated with waste disposal, particularly as the volume of waste delivered to the site continues to place pressure on existing infrastructure.
Beyond waste disposal, the Buyala landfill supports more than 450 waste pickers who earn a living by collecting and selling recyclable materials, Zalwango said.
She added that an average of approximately 204 tonnes of recyclable materials is recovered from the site, providing income for waste pickers and traders who purchase the materials for resale.
The proposed integrated waste management facility is expected to build on these activities by expanding opportunities for sorting, composting, recycling and material recovery.
If implemented as planned, the project could reduce the volume of waste requiring final disposal while creating opportunities for private investment and employment in the waste recovery sector.
However, the project's impact will depend on the completion of procurement, the establishment of the facilities and their capacity to process the large volumes of waste delivered to Buyala each day.
The COSASE inspection provided legislators with an opportunity to assess the landfill's operations, the environmental safeguards in place and KCCA's plans to modernise waste management in Kampala and surrounding areas.