Kampala City Council Authority management confirmed this fire break out on February 08, 2025, at the closed Kiteezi dumping site.
Reports sofar indicate that there have been cracks at the dumpsite and that le to waste slides which can cause the exposure of methane gas, and Such exposure can potentially lead to fire outbreaks in hot weather.
KCCA is discouraging, settlement within the 200 meters’ buffer zone and thus calls upon whoever has shifted back to areas close to Kiteezi in Kitetika and Lusanje vacate with immediate effect.
About Methane
Methane gas (CH4) is a hydrocarbon that is a primary component of natural gas and a powerful climate warmer, responsible for approximately a third of the warming, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Methane is a powerful and short-lived greenhouse gas, with a lifetime of about a decade and Global Warming Potential about 80 times greater than that of carbon dioxide (CO2) during the 20 years after it is released into the atmosphere.
Without action global anthropogenic methane emissions are projected to rise by up to 13% between 2020 and 2030. Global methane emissions must be reduced by 30-60% below 2020 levels by 2030 to be consistent with least-cost pathways of limiting global warming to 1.5°C this century (CCAC). ·
Methane also harms human and ecosystem health. Methane emissions lead to ground-level ozone pollution which causes approximately a million premature deaths per year globally and reduces crop productivity and harms ecosystems.
Experts advise that decarbonizing economies and transitioning out of fossil fuels to achieve net zero by 2050 must go hand in hand with full implementation of targeted methane abatement by 2030 to keep our 1.5 °C target within reach.
Proven technologies and practices could reduce emissions from the major sectors, like fossil fuel, waste and agriculture, by approximately 180 million tonnes a year, or as much as 45% by 2030. Most of these technical solutions can be implemented at negative or low cost, especially in the fossil fuel and waste sectors.