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Kampala's Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, has publicly pointed to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) as a key factor in the ongoing Nakivubo channel controversy, which has seen businessman Ham Kiggundu take control of the drainage system.
Lukwago argues that the NUP, which holds a majority of political positions in Kampala, failed to intervene and stop what he describes as the illegal construction, despite his repeated pleas for assistance.
A Council Resolution and a Shocking Reversal
According to Lukwago, the issue began when Kiggundu constructed over a section of the Nakivubo channel, leading to devastating floods that swept through Owino Market.
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The KCCA executive, led by Lukwago, took swift action, compiling a report that confirmed Kiggundu's lack of a proper plan and initiating legal proceedings.
With the support of KCCA’s legal team and the Director of Physical Planning, a criminal summons was secured.
“We obtained a criminal summons, and the charge sheet was ready; all that remained was arresting him and taking him to the docks,” he said.
However, the case mysteriously vanished after an alleged conspiracy between Ham and the then Acting Executive Director, Frank Rusa.
As a last resort, Lukwago says they took the matter to the KCCA council, the highest policy-making body, seeking a resolution to order Ham’s arrest and demolish the illegal structures.
To his astonishment, the council, which received his report on 3rd April, passed a resolution dismissing all his concerns and instead cleared both Ham and Rusa.
This resolution, Lukwago says, was the basis for Kiggundu’s gloating on social media and the commencement of new works on the channel.
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago
The Plea to NUP Leadership
Feeling let down by the council, Lukwago took a different approach, appealing directly to the leadership of the National Unity Platform.
In a letter dated 22nd July, addressed to the party’s Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya, Lukwago highlighted the political reality that most KCCA councillors and Kampala MPs are members of the NUP.
“I told him that the majority of the KCCA councillors at parishes and divisions, even most of the MPs in Kampala, are NUP. I asked him to help us save our channel.”
Lukwago acknowledged that the NUP has been preoccupied with vetting candidates for the upcoming elections, which may have prevented a timely response.
However, the Lord Mayor expressed his frustration that his urgent pleas for a crisis party meeting have gone unanswered.
“I have sent out another message to him, beseeching Rubongoya to call a crisis party meeting, but I have not heard from him.”