Illegal sewage hookups crippling Kampala road works, trigger disease outbreak fears

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Kampala’s ambitious road construction programme is facing a major setback as illegal sewage connections into road drainage systems threaten public health and undermine the quality of infrastructure works, officials from the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) have revealed.

The problem came to light on Wednesday during a monitoring and inspection exercise of ongoing road works across the city, led by KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki.

Officials warned that unauthorised sewage hookups into stormwater trenches are interfering with construction activities and exposing surrounding communities to waterborne disease outbreaks.

According to KCCA, raw sewage has been found flowing directly into open road drainage channels, contaminating the work sites and nearby water sources.

Authorities have urged residents to report such incidents, warning that the practice poses a serious danger to both public health and the longevity of the roads under construction.

Kisenyi emerges as a major hotspot

The problem is most prevalent in the Kisenyi area in Kampala Central Division, where four roads, including Erisa Nkonyonyo Road, are currently under construction and at the drainage installation stage.

“We need to support communities by working closely with the National Water and Sewerage Corporation and the National Environment Management Authority to relocate sewage lines so that we avoid direct discharge into storm drains,” KCCA deputy executive director Moses Kigenyi said.

He warned that allowing sewage to flow into stormwater channels exposes residents to preventable disease outbreaks.

During the inspection in Kisenyi, officials observed several illegal sewage connections feeding directly into drainage channels under construction.

In some cases, underground sewer lines were seen running close to the road works, releasing waste into open trenches.