After nearly an extensive five-month search following the dismissal of former Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) chief Dorothy Kisaka, along with her senior officials Eng. David Luyimbazi (Deputy Executive Director) and Dr. Daniel Okello (Director of Public Health), President Yoweri Museveni has appointed new leadership.
The appointment follows the President’s directed to the Public Service Commission to promptly advertise and fill the roles of Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, and Director of Public Health within three months to rectify the leadership void at KCCA.
Out of the over 40 applicants, Sharifah Buzeki has been named the new Executive Director of KCCA, with Benon Kigenyi stepping in as her deputy.
The previous officials were removed from their positions after a disastrous incident at the Kiteezi landfill in August 2024, which resulted in over 30 fatalities and many individuals unaccounted for.
The Inspector General of Government’s report indicated that the tragedy was due to negligence on the part of the authority’s leadership, prompting the President to sack the three top officials.
The trio is facing a total of 35 counts of manslaughter alongside 22 counts of causing grievous harm (57) to victims of the landfill collapse, since they were responsible for overseeing and manging operations at the landfill.
The state asserts that from July 2020 to August 10, 2024, the former KCCA officials neglected their responsibilities by permitting the Kitezi landfill to operate without the essential permits and licenses.
They are further accused of disregarding numerous warnings about the imminent threat of a disaster, including the risk of a garbage slide, and failing to take necessary actions to decommission the landfill or safeguard surrounding communities.
Additionally, the charges claim that these officials did not evacuate or alert residents about the looming dangers, nor did they act promptly to mitigate the potential risk of loss of life. The state argues that these failures and acts of negligence were directly linked to the catastrophic event that resulted in both fatalities and injuries.
