The death toll from the recent landslide at a garbage dump in Kiteezi, Kampala’s Kawempe Division has risen to 21, according to Lillian Aber, Uganda’s Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees.

Speaking to The Standard on Sunday, Aber confirmed that the bodies have been retrieved and taken to the City Mortuary Mulago for autopsies.

Earlier reports indicated that eight people had died in the landslide, which occurred on Saturday morning. “Rescue teams are working tirelessly to recover any additional bodies,” Aber said, adding that the government has provided food, shelter, and security, and is relocating survivors to safer locations.

The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), which manages the city’s waste, attributed the landslide to a structural failure within the waste mass at the Kiteezi landfill. “A section of the landfill collapsed due to the failure,” KCCA stated in a press release.

Established in 1996, the Kiteezi landfill spans 36 acres (14 hectares) and serves as the main dumpsite for all five divisions of Kampala, Uganda’s capital city, which has a population of approximately 1.87 million.

In response to the disaster, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has directed the army’s Special Forces Command to join the search and rescue operations.

In a statement on social media, Museveni questioned how people were allowed to settle near such a hazardous area. “Even without the collapse, the effluent alone poses serious health risks,” he remarked.

The President has instructed the Deputy Inspector General of Government (IGG), Anne Muhairwe, to conduct an investigation into the incident and report back with findings.

He also directed the Prime Minister to coordinate the evacuation of all households in the danger zone and to ensure the recovery of any remaining victims.

Additionally, President Museveni announced financial assistance for the families of those who died, offering $1,300 per deceased person and $265 for each injured individual.