Authorities in Luwero Town Council are facing a crisis as the space for burying unclaimed bodies and dumping garbage has reached full capacity. Twenty years ago, Luwero Town acquired 2.5 acres in the Kalongo zone, which was divided for use as both a cemetery and a garbage dump for waste collected from residents.
However, with the town’s growing population, this space has now filled up, exacerbating the situation. The area has also seen an influx of Sudanese refugees, who, upon death, are buried in the same cemetery. Currently, the cemetery sees at least five unclaimed bodies, often retrieved from accidents, murder scenes, and other incidents across the district, buried there each week.
Simon Ssebale, a resident, noted that the land designated for the cemetery was initially too small and is now full. As a result, town officials have resorted to burying bodies in shallow graves, stacking them on top of one another, or dumping them in a single pit. Ssebale expressed concern that this has led to dogs exhuming the bodies and feeding on the remains.
Doreen Zawedde, another resident, mentioned that the area is plagued by a heavy stench due to the poor burial practices employed by town council workers. Irene Nambaasa, also a resident, warned that the improper burial of bodies is putting the community at risk of disease outbreaks.
In addition to the cemetery issue, the garbage dump on the same piece of land is also full. As a result, garbage is now being dumped on roads or in people’s compounds. Robert Majanja Ssekubulwa, the District Councillor for Luwero Town Council, expressed fears of a cholera outbreak as the rainy season approaches, given that garbage is likely to overflow into residential areas. He urged the town council to relocate both the garbage site and the cemetery to a new location to protect residents.
Chris Johns Buwembo, the LC3 Chairperson of Luwero Town, confirmed that the land allocated for both the cemetery and garbage dump has reached its limit. He added that the district has allocated 50 million shillings in the 2024/25 financial year to purchase alternative land for these purposes. Buwembo also appealed to the government for assistance in managing the town’s daily garbage collection, as the town council is currently overwhelmed.
Two weeks ago, garbage at the Kiteezi landfill caused the deaths of at least 35 people and displaced over 100 others. As Kampala City Council Authority searches for alternative land for garbage disposal, several town councils, municipalities, and cities across the country are also struggling to manage waste, raising fears of similar tragedies.