Kampala’s Road Works: When Development Becomes a Burden.

Moving around several areas in Kampala with the onset of the rainy season has become very troublesome because of the ongoing road construction works. From Bwaise in Kawempe to Gaddafi Road in Old Kampala, and several other parts of the city, road projects are underway.

While constructing roads is a commendable and noble undertaking, the way the work is handled—and the time it takes to complete these projects—leaves much to be desired.

In most cases, contractors begin with excavation and drainage works, which involve digging trenches and installing culverts. This process takes quite some time. Between casting the base, installing the culverts, and covering them, it often takes two to three weeks, rendering the roads almost impassable when it rains.

As a result, many of these areas experience repeated flooding. Stormwater finds its way into people’s homes and business premises—sometimes several times during the same season. I often wonder why city authorities choose to execute several road projects at once instead of concentrating on one, completing it quickly, and saving residents from this chaos.

By the way, this challenge is not unique to Kampala. I recently had difficulty getting home in Obuyonjo Cell, Mbale City Northern Division, because of ongoing works on Hygiene Close.

The roads are extremely slippery and muddy. It’s a daily struggle to get to work without being splashed or soiled by stormwater. Can’t we find a better way to complete such infrastructure projects within the shortest possible time—without subjecting residents to this repeated pain?

Development shouldn’t be painful. For instance, the images and footage coming from Nakivubo—showing floods resulting from construction on the Nakivubo Channel—are deeply disappointing. Who will compensate the traders whose shops keep flooding as a result of the construction.