By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
Kampala Capital City Authority has ordered businessman Hamis Kiggundu to suspend ongoing works on the Nakivubo Drainage Channel, despite President Yoweri Museveni recently endorsing the redevelopment scheme.
Officials from KCCA led by Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago on Thursday met Kiggundu, the proprietor of Kiham Enterprises Ltd, and instructed him to stop all construction activities that had not received the necessary statutory approvals.
“We have instructed him to halt all activities that are ongoing without the requisite statutory guidance and permission,” Lukwago told reports.
He added that while the city welcomed private-sector contributions to infrastructure improvement, works around the city’s primary stormwater channel posed serious safety and environmental risks if carried out outside legal frameworks.
The directive comes barely weeks after President Museveni, in a letter seen by the Parrots Media, gave a green light to Kiggundu’s proposal to redevelop the Nakivubo drainage system in tandem with his commercial projects around Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium. Museveni praised the project as “transformative” and urged relevant agencies to support the investor.
Kiggundu, a self-styled tycoon popularly known as Ham, has in recent years embarked on high-profile redevelopment projects in Kampala, including the construction of Nakivubo Stadium. His extension into the city’s drainage channel, however, has stirred controversy, with critics warning that unregulated alterations could worsen flooding in downtown Kampala.
During Thursday’s meeting, KCCA reminded Kiham Enterprises of its obligations to remove debris from the channel caused by its works, ensure the smooth flow of stormwater, and maintain safety hoarding around the construction site to protect residents and traders.
The Nakivubo Channel, which cuts through the city’s central business district, is the main stormwater artery draining into Lake Victoria. It has long been plagued by silting, encroachment, and illegal dumping, issues that have fueled recurrent urban flooding.
While Museveni’s endorsement bolstered Kiggundu’s case, KCCA insists that statutory procedures cannot be bypassed. “We are not against development, but it must be done within the confines of the law and in a manner that safeguards human life,” Lukwago said.
The standoff now sets up a fresh collision between central government backing for high-profile investors and Kampala’s city leadership, which is under pressure to enforce planning regulations amid mounting flood risks.
