Floods Cut Off Kyambogo Section of Jinja Highway

The ill-fated taxi which got trapped in the floods on Wednesday

KAMPALA — Traffic along Jinja Highway was on Thursday disrupted after flooding cut off a section near Kyambogo following heavy rainfall.

Uganda Police traffic spokesperson Michael Kananura said motorists should use alternative routes as the road had become impassable.

“Motorists are informed that the road at Kyambogo along Jinja Highway has been cut off due to heavy rainfall,” he said.

Images from the scene show vehicles wading through fast-moving, muddy water, with some nearly submerged as drivers struggled to pass, triggering heavy congestion on nearby roads.

Eyewitness accounts said some motorists stalled midstream, while others were forced to turn back, worsening congestion along feeder roads including Banda, Ntinda and the Northern Bypass.

The disruption underscores Kampala’s recurring vulnerability to flash floods, particularly along low-lying corridors such as Jinja Highway, a key artery linking the capital to eastern Uganda.

Urban planners have long warned that rapid construction, poor drainage maintenance, and encroachment on wetlands have worsened flooding risks in the city.

During heavy downpours, stormwater runoff often exceeds the capacity of existing drainage channels, leading to sudden road closures.

Kananura urged caution as Kampala continues to face recurring flash floods linked to poor drainage and rapid urbanisation.