By KAMPALA:Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has accused businessman Hamis Kiggundu and certain government officials of recklessness and impunity after Monday’s floods in Nakivubo, highlighting a lack of environmental oversight by the National Environment Management Authority (Nema).
Lukwago, who sounded out the nation about “midnight land grab” at Nakivubo barely 24 hours before Kiggungu, popularly known as Ham, kicked off his controversial redevelopment works.
“I wrote to Nema requesting documentation on Ham Kiggundu’s projects, including the environmental assessment report on August 2, 2025, but they have refused to respond,” he said.
A downpour on Monday left swathes of Nakivubo and surrounding areas floating in floodwaters, with traders at Owino Market bearing the brunt as their merchandise was submerged in knee-high water.
The flooding has been widely blamed on the controversial redevelopment works along the Nakivubo Channel, where Kiggundu has reportedly erected commercial structures directly atop the sewage channel.
Lukwago described the flooding as “sheer recklessness and impunity” from both Kiggundu and government actors, warning that the disaster was entirely foreseeable.
“No one can claim they didn’t foresee this. It was a disaster in waiting,” he said, adding that Kiggundu’s works are not focused on rehabilitating the channel, but rather on building private commercial complexes.
The Lord Mayor emphasized that Kiggundu has alienated and taken control of trustee land illegally.
The land, registered under LRV 2632 Folio Number 11 Plot M878, was initially 72 acres but has been reduced to 48 acres following encroachment.
Lukwago noted that Ugandan law prohibits the acquisition of trustee land as private property and stressed that the Nakivubo Channel is a public resource critical to the city’s drainage system.
According to Lukwago, Kiggundu did not secure the required permits from Nema – although social media has been awash with an unverified certificate purportedly issued by Nema for the controversial works.
Despite his request for documents including the environmental assessment, Nema has not responded, raising questions about transparency and accountability in overseeing projects affecting Kampala’s key waterways.
The Nile Post has contacted Nema for a comment on the Lord Mayor’s allegations.
Lukwago also highlighted an incident he described as a “midnight land grab” that took place the day before Kiggundu broke ground. ]
The targeted stretch, he said, runs from Ham Stadium through Jugula, Park Yard, Kiseka Market, New Taxi Park, Kiwologoma, and Namirembe Road.
The businessman reportedly mobilized equipment, materials, and hired men to seize the contested land if urgent intervention was not made.
The Lord Mayor further accused the Ministry for Kampala and senior government figures of supporting the move, claiming political interference in urban planning.
The Nakivubo Channel dispute is not new. Lukwago recalled that a report presented to the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) council on April 3, 2025, recommended canceling all land titles along the corridor, imposing a moratorium on developments, reinstating criminal proceedings against Kiggundu, and reprimanding former KCCA Executive Director Frank Rusa.
“Instead, the council approved the continuation of Ham’s developments and controversially awarded Rusa despite his alleged role in facilitating the disputed construction,” Lukwago said, calling it “impunity at its peak.”
The Lord Mayor announced that an urgent meeting had been convened with stakeholders, including mayors and councillors, led by National Unity Platform Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, to “nip this thuggery in the bud.”
He said the city is also exploring ways to ensure that victims of the flooding are compensated and that Kiggundu himself may be held liable.
Monday’s floods in Nakivubo echo other controversies in Kampala over wetland encroachments. Lubigi and Bugolobi wetlands have seen similar disputes, with developers allowed to acquire land despite complaints from affected communities.
As the city grapples with the aftermath of the flooding, Lukwago’s statements underscore growing concerns over unchecked urban development, selective enforcement, and the role of state actors in facilitating controversial projects.
“Whatever is going on downtown is impunity with collision from state actors,” he said.
With commercial structures now covering the Nakivubo Channel and Monday’s floods devastating local traders, the dispute raises urgent questions about accountability, urban planning, and environmental governance in Kampala.
