Netizens angry over Ham’s Nakivubo upgrade as floods nearly sweep away ‘Hajat’

Criticism flooded social media after heavy rain caused flooding in downtown Kampala, with many netizens blaming businessman Hamis Kiggundu for developments around the Nakivubo Channel.

In one of the videos circulating online, a woman dressed in an Islamic outfit was nearly swept away by floodwaters near Mini Price, a busy trading area close to Nakivubo.

The person who posted the video wrote on X:

“Oh my God 💔😩. This is heartbreaking. Thankfully the woman survived, otherwise we would be saying RIP.

“When we raised concerns about Ham’s development along the Nakivubo Channel, many people said we were opposing development. But that was never the case. Speaking up about poor planning is not opposing development 😥, it is demanding responsible and thoughtful development.

“It is painful to keep seeing ordinary people suffer the same losses again and again, while the powerful continue to benefit from the pain and sweat of others. Today, just small rains can flood the city. That alone should be a warning that something is not right.

“In Uganda, it is always the poor who suffer the most. They are the ones who lose homes, businesses, and livelihoods whenever disasters like flooding happen.

“What makes it even more frustrating is that we already have many serious problems that affect people every day. Yet you still find money being allocated to things that do not address the real issues in the country at all.

“It has become a repeated cycle; rains come, the city floods, people lose property and livelihoods, and then silence follows. When leaders finally speak, it is often only speeches instead of real solutions.”

Several other videos showed vehicles struggling to pass through flooded streets in the city centre. Some shops were also filled with dirty floodwater.

Parts of the area where Kiggundu Hamis constructed buildings were also flooded.

The project around the Nakivubo Channel has faced opposition from several leaders and stakeholders. At one point, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) halted construction and asked the developer to first secure the required statutory guidance and permission.

A parliamentary probe into the controversial project was also later halted after a directive from the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among.

At the time, the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) was meeting top KCCA officials, including Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago. The committee chairperson, Medard Ssegona, received a letter from the Speaker during the meeting.

The letter stated that the matter had been transferred to a five-member panel from the Physical Infrastructure Committee, led by Kazo County MP Dan Kimosho.

Construction later resumed, and part of the buildings have already been completed and occupied.