KCCA Councillors’ Active Open Door For Ham’s Control of Nakivubo Channel

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1152 EAT on Tuesday 2 September 2025

Kampala residents awoke to the unexpected sight of the Nakivubo Channel cordoned off by businessman Hamis Kiggundu, prompting Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago to swiftly place the blame.

Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago accused opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) councillors at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) of being partly responsible for the controversial cordoning off of the Nakivubo Channel. Lukwago revealed that the majority of KCCA councillors, who are NUP members, allegedly accepted bribes to pass a resolution permitting businessman Hamis Kiggundu—commonly known as Ham—to build over the channel.

Lukwago also wrote to NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, urging him to take disciplinary action, but Rubongoya had yet to respond.

The controversy intensified a day after Ham fenced off the Nakivubo Channel with iron sheets, when a letter from President Museveni authorizing Ham’s takeover surfaced on social media, shifting public attention away from the alleged involvement of NUP councillors.

The National Unity Platform (NUP) spokesperson and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, has challenged Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago to provide evidence supporting his allegations of corruption against NUP councillors.

In an interview, Ssenyonyi described the contested resolution as “generic” and not specifically related to Nakivubo. He said, “We intend to meet with our councillors who passed it to get a deeper understanding. More importantly, it’s not a council resolution that grants authority to develop the area. The real authority that gave Ham that place was President Museveni; everyone saw that letter.”

Ssenyonyi added, “If Lukwago claims there was corruption, he should present evidence, and we will address the issue. But beyond politics, this is a criminal matter. Anyone with evidence of corruption should take it to court.”

This report is based on an interview published by The Observer.

NUP councillors, including KCCA Speaker Zahra Luyurika (NUP, Makindye), have firmly denied ever passing a resolution permitting Hamis Kiggundu to take over the Nakivubo Channel. Faridah Nakabugo, a councillor from Lubaga Division and also an NUP member, went further by offering to resign if any resolution explicitly mentioning the Nakivubo Channel is found.

This week, frustrated NUP councillors convened a council meeting where they accused Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago of seeking “political mileage” by alleging corruption against them, despite knowing there was no resolution authorizing businessman Hamis Kiggundu to take over the Nakivubo Channel.

The councillors also denied claims that they had accepted bribes from Ham. However, a week earlier, Uganda Radio Network (URN) reported that two NUP councillors had independently confessed to receiving between Shs 500,000 and Shs 7 million to pass the contested resolution.

Ham was unavailable for comment regarding the bribery allegations. Beyond the difficult-to-prove accusations, it is undisputed that KCCA councillors discussed Ham’s encroachment on the Nakivubo Channel, which they said was contributing to flooding in Kampala.

This discussion followed a report from the KCCA Central Executive Committee (CEC), chaired by Lukwago, calling for prosecution over illegal construction along the Jugula Channel—part of the broader Nakivubo system.

The issue arose after a complaint from the Kampala Catholic Archdiocese, which accused Ham of taking over land belonging to the St. Balikuddembe and St. Athanasius Catholic shrines, effectively blocking their access.

Council minutes dated April 10, 2025, and signed by KCCA Speaker Zahra Luyurika and Council Clerk Dan Muhumuza, reveal that the Central Executive Committee (CEC) report presented by Executive Secretary for Planning and Civil Works John Mary Ssebuwufu (NUP, Nakawa) recommended prosecuting businessman Hamis Kiggundu for impunity. The report emphasized that prosecution was the council’s only way to “demonstrate commitment to the restoration of drainage channels, combat impunity, and be transparent with the public.”

The CEC also urged the council to pass a resolution canceling all land titles related to Kampala’s drainage system that had been issued to private investors. Additionally, the council called for prosecuting acting KCCA Executive Director Frank Rusa Nyakana, who was implicated in allowing Kiggundu’s alleged illegal construction on the Jugula Channel.

However, the council minutes indicate that, with the exception of a few NUP councillors, the majority of councillors opposed prosecuting Kiggundu and Rusa. Instead, they approved the construction of Kampala’s drainage channels.

Nakivubo, which runs through all five divisions of Kampala, constitutes over 50 percent of the city’s drainage system. By approving construction on the drainage channels, the council effectively sanctioned building over the Nakivubo Channel.

Councillor Mosh Afrikan Ssendi (NUP, Makindye) proposed that KCCA explore modern methods of construction and drainage coverage. His suggestions were supported by other councillors, including Lillian Nakakande (NUP) and Bonny Boniface Bukenya (NUP, Kawempe), who highlighted the need to adopt innovative drainage solutions similar to those in countries like the Netherlands—where recycling plants coexist with residential developments built above them.

Micdad Muganga (FDC, Kawempe) added that “open drainages represent a primitive mode of construction” and advocated phasing them out, citing their role in encouraging littering.

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