KCCA councillors dismiss Lukwago claims of Nakivubo channel giveaway

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Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) councillors have rejected allegations that they gave away the Nakivubo drainage channel to city tycoon Hamis Kiggundu.

During a heated council meeting on August 25, 2025, chaired by Speaker Zahara Luyirika, councillors led by Kampala Central representative Moses Katabu insisted that at no point in their meetings did they discuss handing over the channel.

“In all our meetings of April, we discussed the state of all the city drainage channels, but we did not give away any of them. I want to distance ourselves from these allegations,” Katabu said.

Deputy Speaker Nasur Masaba noted that there was no record in the Hansard showing that councillors had resolved to hand over the drainage channel. He moved a motion calling on Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who had made the allegations on national television, to retract them.

“We demand that the Lord Mayor should apologise to us and the public knows that we didn’t sell the drainage channel, we are being witch-hunted by the public,” Masaba said.

Councillor Jeremiah Kaaya added that they also distanced themselves from the presidential directive on the proposed development of Nakivubo channel, saying that, despite the directive, they condemned the act.

On August 2, 2025, President Yoweri Museveni wrote to Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja endorsing Kiggundu’s plan to redevelop the Nakivubo channel at his own cost and recover the investment through commercial projects above the drainage corridor.

Speaker Luyirika explained that the meeting was convened to establish clarity on the Nakivubo channel in light of discussions held on April 3, 2025, pursuant to the KCCA Act as amended. She said it was important to assess the current situation and align their oversight role with prevailing realities.

In response, Lord Mayor Lukwago stated that during the April 3 meeting, councillors had agreed for KCCA to work with credible and capable investors to develop and upgrade city drainage systems under the authority’s approval and supervision, in view of declining funding from the central government and donors.

Lukwago added that recommendations were made for the demolition of an alleged illegal structure constructed over the Jugula drainage channel by Ham Enterprises Uganda Limited, but this was rejected.

He also noted that recommendations for a moratorium on the issuance of titles on drainage corridors and wetlands by KCCA and the Kampala District Land Board, as well as for legal action to cancel existing titles, were similarly rejected.

Another recommendation, to reinstate a criminal case against Ham Enterprises and to have Kiggundu arrested and prosecuted, was also rejected by councillors.

Deputy executive director Benon Kigenyi reiterated that KCCA’s position remained that the authority had not given away the Nakivubo channel.