KCCA starts repairs on drainage channels

By Francis Kagolo and John Kato

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has contracted two companies to repair and de-silt drainage channels in all flood-prone areas around the city.

The sh5.3b project is aimed at averting floods ahead of the heavy rains expected to start this month.

Eng. Andrew Kitaka, the KCCA director in charge of engineering and technical services, said Omega Consults and Prime Contractors would also replace broken culverts and drainage systems where possible.

"Kampala's drainage systems were designed decades ago yet the city gets built up over time which increases surface run-off water whenever it rains," Kitaka told the press at the Media Centre in Kampala on Thursday.

"Most of the drainage channels are clogged with silt and rubbish. All this has been contributing to floods."

The key floods black spots that are scheduled to be worked on first include Luthuli Avenue, Queen's way and Jinja Road-Wampewo roundabout.

Others include Bwaise trading centre, Kawala road (Nsooba) and Mambule road in Kawempe division.

In Makindye division, the city authority promised to work on drainage channels along Hanlon Road in Kibuye I parish, Mukwano Road, Namuwongo Road and the surrounding slums.

Omega was allocated sh4.18b while Prime Contractors is to get sh1.13b. Kitaka explained that the project was only waiting for the recruitment of a supervisor to start; a process he said would take one week.

The two contractors are in addition to the 500 workers whom KCCA has deployed across the city to clean drainage channels, 300 of whom operate in Makindye division.

Kawempe has 33 workers while Nakawa, Rubaga and Central divisionS have about 50 workers each.

Roads revamp

Meanwhile, Kitaka reiterated KCCA's quest for sh1trillion to overhaul the city's road network in the next five years.

The money is needed for the reconstruction of 1,100km of roads and tarmacking 35% of murrum roads.

KCC has a road network of 1,500 kilometers. This includes 340km of tarmac roads, 760km of murrum and 400km of community and private roads. The city has a size of 195 square miles.

However, Kitaka lamented that they only get 20% of the sh200b needed every financial year to rehabilitate the road network in five years.

The Authority got sh43b from the central government this financial year.

"We shall try to make the main roads motorable until we get all the money to do the comprehensive work," said the city engineering director.

KCCA's intervention to improve the drainage system comes amidst public outcry over floods which hit most parts of the city, mainly slums, whenever it rains heavily.

Two people, a man and a woman, died in November last year when their motorcycle was swept away by floods during an afternoon downpour in the city. The police said the victims, a bodaboda operator and a client, were riding in the rain on the Katwe-Kalitunsi road.

Dozens of other city dwellers have died while many have lost property worth millions over the years due to floods.