Kampala — A fresh political and environmental storm has erupted after President Yoweri Museveni endorsed businessman Hamis Kiggundu’s controversial plan to redevelop and cover the Nakivubo Drainage Channel. 

In a letter dated August 2, 2025, to Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, Museveni described Kiggundu’s proposal as “imaginative and simple,” giving him the green light to clean, cover, and strengthen the channel at his own cost. To recover the investment, the President approved allowing Kiggundu to construct properties above the drainage corridor.

“What a really godly proposal? How will he recover his money? Simple. Allow him to build properties above it that will bring back the money,” Museveni wrote, directing government agencies to help the developer execute the plan. 

The endorsement has drawn fierce criticism from Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who blasted the project as “illegal and fraudulent,” accusing Kiggundu of bypassing the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). 

“This project lacks legal basis and violates environmental safeguards. I call upon KCCA and NEMA to intervene and stop it immediately,” Lukwago said, warning that altering the city’s main stormwater artery without environmental assessment could worsen Kampala’s flooding crisis. 

The contested site remains under tight guard by security operatives, preventing any interference from the public or city officials, a development Lukwago says illustrates the “state capture” of urban governance.

Kiggundu, known for his flashy developments around downtown Kampala, defended his project as a patriotic contribution:

“We don’t need to leave Uganda, we simply need to develop it into the Europe we desire. For God and My Country,” he said, while unveiling an AI-generated redevelopment plan.

Environmental Concerns

Urban planners and environmental experts warn that while redevelopment of Nakivubo Channel is overdue, covering the drainage without proper safeguards could spell disaster.

Open channels, despite being unsightly, allow stormwater to flow freely, expose blockages for easy clearance, and prevent pressure build-up.

Covering them, experts argue, often restricts water flow and creates “choke points” where plastics and solid waste accumulate unseen, leading to sudden and catastrophic flooding. Kampala already suffers annual floods that displace residents, damage property, and spread waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid.

Enclosed channels also reduce oxygenation, encouraging methane and toxic gas build-up, while trapping sewage, oil, and industrial waste in ways that worsen urban pollution.

Similar projects in Nairobi and Lagos, where developers covered stormwater channels, have been blamed for flash floods and heightened public health risks.

Critics further cite Kiggundu’s past projects, where construction works were linked to blocked drainage and pollution, as evidence that unchecked development could worsen public health hazards. “Flood waters don’t negotiate with buildings,” one urban planner noted.

Uganda’s environmental laws require an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) before any alteration of a natural drainage system. Environmentalists now say NEMA must decide whether Museveni’s approval overrides regulatory standards or if the rule of law on environmental protection will prevail.

by ChimpReports