KCCA council gives nod to working with local developer to end Kampala floods

In a bid to tackle Kampala’s flooding nightmare, the KCCA Council has approved a move to work hand-in-hand with competent local investors to develop, cover, and upgrade drainage channels across the city.

The resolution, passed during a fiery council session on April 3, 2025, came with a sharp rejection of Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago’s recent accusations against businessman Dr. Hajji Hamis Kiggundu and former acting Executive Director Frank Nyakana Rusa.

Lukwago recently accused Ham of illegally constructing on top of Jugula water channel and that this was the cause of the recent floods that hit the city and wreaked havoc.

The Lord Mayor also demanded Rusa’s interdiction from the office of Director of Legal Affairs, claiming he backed the project while serving as Acting Executive Director between September and December 2024.

However, during the heated council meeting, KCCA councilors dismissed Lukwago’s claims as politically charged and legally unsound but on the other side recognized Rusa with an official commendation for his exemplary leadership.

The council emphasized that partnering with the private sector under close KCCA supervision is the only viable path to ending the city’s chronic flood disasters.

The councilors tabled official records showing that Ham Enterprises (U) Ltd, the company owned by Kiggundu, had submitted all construction plans to KCCA by law. The plans were reviewed and approved on December 9, 2024.

They said the charges cited by Lukwago had not only been dismissed by the KCCA magistrate court on January 14, 2025, but had also been wrongly filed against Kiggundu personally, rather than his company.

The councillors described the charges as malicious, biased, and legally irregular.

They criticised Lukwago for consistently promoting personal vendettas instead of offering leadership grounded in facts and development priorities.

The councilors would later award Rusa for his “exemplary service” during his tenure as acting KCCA Executive Director.

He was presented with a plaque and certificate of recognition.

Drawing comparisons with modern cities that have invested in underground drainage, the council emphasised the need to shift away from Kampala’s outdated open channels, which are prone to blockage by solid waste.

The council also issued a passionate call to government entities to support, rather than frustrate, local investors who can solve real urban challenges.