'I've lost millions' - Anna Talia speaks out as her shop is hit by floods

Media personality and entrepreneur Anna Talia Oze has appealed for government intervention after heavy floods devastated downtown Kampala, leaving hundreds of small business owners counting losses.

In a heartfelt post on X, Oze said she had been deeply affected both emotionally and financially since the floods hit on Friday, October 31, 2025.

“I haven’t been myself since Friday. The floods swept through and left me broken emotionally and financially,” she wrote. “As a small cottage manufacturer producing undergarments and supplying dozens of bayilibi (vendors who sell on commission), I’ve lost millions.”

Oze highlighted the struggles faced by informal traders and small-scale manufacturers who form the backbone of Uganda’s urban economy.

“This isn’t just about me. It’s about thousands of bayilibi and sub-renters in downtown arcades, the unsung backbone of Uganda’s informal economy. We are the ones who make things happen quietly, without recognition, without security, and now… without hope,” she added.

The flooding, which submerged large parts of downtown Kampala, including key trading areas such as Nakivubo, Kikuubo and Nabugabo, has been blamed by traders on ongoing drainage works linked to businessman Hamis Kiggundu. Many say the construction has blocked natural water channels, worsening runoff during heavy rains.

Oze urged government leaders to prioritise support for small traders who have been hardest hit.

“I call upon the Minister of Disaster Preparedness, Hon Lillian Aber, the Right Honourable Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, and His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, please, look beyond the big shop owners. There’s a whole ecosystem of silent hustlers who have lost everything,” she pleaded.

She concluded by calling for “urgent relief, recognition, and recovery support,” saying, “We may be small, but we are the heartbeat of downtown Uganda.”