The National Unity Platform (NUP) has announced that it will summon and question Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) councillors accused of colluding with businessman Hamis Kiggundu to block off the Nakivubo Channel for development without following due process.
The announcement comes after displaced vendors petitioned the party, accusing the councillors of betrayal and calling for urgent intervention.
Last week, Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago wrote to the NUP leadership, alleging that some councillors had been bribed to back Kiggundu’s project.
He further warned that the alleged connivance could have influenced President Museveni’s subsequent approval of the development.
Addressing the matter on Wednesday, Joel Ssenyonyi, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, dismissed the presidential directive as “illegal” and likened the situation to the controversial Lubowa Hospital project, which Parliament has been unable to monitor.
“We are going to talk to our councillors. If anyone is found guilty of connivance, they will face disciplinary action,” Ssenyonyi said, urging whistleblowers to present evidence either to the party or the police for prosecution.
NUP leaders also expressed solidarity with vendors evicted from the channel, warning that closing off Nakivubo would worsen Kampala’s flooding crisis.
Nakawa East MP Ronald Balimwezo added that the city is likely to face increased flooding if the drainage system is obstructed.
“This all started at Parkyard. Traders have been complaining about him for pushing them away everywhere they go,” Balimwezo said, in reference to Kiggundu’s earlier redevelopment projects.
As pressure mounts, traders and vendors have vowed to resist the project, warning that Kampala could face dire environmental and economic consequences if Nakivubo Channel is covered.