By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
Residents of Bata-Bata, Namasuba, Makindye Ssabagabo in Wakiso district have urged the government to improve the poor drainage system in the area.
The call follows flooding in the area as the result of the early morning downpour which paralyzed businesses, and traffic in the area. Residents say they are grappling with poor sanitation related challenges due to poor drainage system in the area.
“When it rains, the whole area floods and the roads become impassable. Motor vehicles get stuck in the trenches and sometimes people drown in the trenches and die,” said one of the residents.
Another resident, Ssemakula a motor cyclist at Bata Bata stage explained that the Bata-Bata – Lufuka drainage channel floods whenever it rains and water enters people’s homes, shops destroying merchandises and lives, as well as paralyzing transport. He added that the drainage system has been in dire needs over the years however, nothing has been done to curb down floods despite endless efforts to notify the government.
“Water cut off the roads, and for us who are dealing public transport find difficulties in operating our businesses. Some of our fellows have died in the recent past because of these floods,” said Ssemakula.
On Wednesday, traffic came to a standstill along Entebbe road as floods cut off the road at Bata-Bata following an early morning downpour. In other areas in the city suburbs like Kyambogo Banda, Bukoto Mulimira zone in Nakawa West, water entered homes, shops and the neighbouring Life Church however. Residents blamed government for failing to construct proper roads and improving drainage system in the area.
Addressing journalists in Kampala, the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) Spokesperson, Sharon Oyat Arach attributed the floods to encroachment of wetlands, accusing the government of selling off wetlands to investors who have turned the wetlands into industrial parks.
“When it rains, the whole city becomes like sewage and everyone is blaming KCCA. KCCA can only do so much, but the government system has failed to put structures that are protecting the wetlends […] We need to protect the wetlands, but who is supposed to ensure that these wetlends are protected when the government itself is selling off our wetlands to investors to construct industrial parks?” Arach queried.
She urged Ugandans to take actions and vote out the NRM government and vote UPC in the 2026 general elections if they are to change the systems for better service delivery.
“The systems are wrong, and when you have a wrong government, you have wrong systems,” Arach stated.
