Kampala to be floods-free by 2019

Kampala City Council Authority Traffic Lights Engineer Jacob Byamukama (right) talks while Director Engineering and Technical Services Justus Akankwasa (left) looks on at news conference in Kampala. PHOTO/Kennedy Oryema

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has revealed that the city will be floods-free by 2019.

According to the newly released Kampala drainage master plan, the authority will prioritize improvement of main channels in the city.

During the rainy seasons in Kampala and locations such as Kyambogo on Jinja Road floods. Other areas that have suffered floods include: Bwaise, Nateete, Nalukolongo, Ndeeba, Katwe, Clock Tower and Namasuba.

The acting director engineering and technical services, Justus Akankwasa, told a news conference in Kampala on Wednesday that designs for the all drainage channels are ready and construction would commence in February.

"The current drainage plan of the city was done in 2013 and it was outdated due to the increasing pressure from the growing population. The new plan is aimed at capturing the flood blackspots," he said.

He noted in the new master plan, the authority will focus on spots including Nalukolongo, Kinawataka, Kyambogo, Lugogo, Kansanga and Lubigi.

"These are the areas that have been a problem to the people of Kampala whenever it rained. With this new plan, there will be no floods in city," he said.

Charles Tumwebuze, the project coordinator said some of the roadside drains would be widened to provide easy passage of water.

"Property developers are advised that during construction should leave required unpaved surface on their plots to pave way for drainage construction," he advised.

Tumwebaze noted that the plan is under the second phase of Kampala Institutional and Infrastructure Development Project II (KIIDP II) that seeks to enhance infrastructure and institutional capacity of KCCA and improve urban mobility for inclusive economic growth.

"There are two components to the project, the first component being city wide road infrastructure and associated development support," he added.

He also noted that the second component is institutional and systems development support.