Tensions escalated at the City Hall on Tuesday when purported supporters of businessman Hamis Kiggundu stormed the offices, hurling insults at Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and accusing him of “witch-hunting” the developer.
Lukwago, who had just finished a press briefing on Monday’s floods in Nakivubo, returned urgently to address the threats.
“I am here to tell you, that if anything happens to me, it’s Ham Kiggundu,” he declared, highlighting what he described as collusion between the businessman and certain government authorities. Security personnel later escorted the group out of the City Hall, the sit of the Kampala Capital City Authority.
The outburst comes amid a brewing storm over controversial redevelopment works along the Nakivubo Channel.
Monday’s downpour left swathes of Nakivubo and surrounding areas submerged, with traders at Owino Market losing merchandise to knee-high floodwaters.
Lukwago has repeatedly blamed the flooding on Kiggundu’s commercial structures, which have reportedly been erected directly atop the sewage channel.
“This was sheer recklessness and impunity from both Ham Kiggundu and government actors. No one can claim they didn’t foresee this—it was a disaster in waiting,” Lukwago said.
The Lord Mayor emphasized that Kiggundu’s projects do not rehabilitate the channel but instead convert public trustee land into private commercial property.
The disputed stretch, registered under LRV 2632 Folio Number 11 Plot M878, initially measured 72 acres but has now been reduced to 48 acres following encroachments. Ugandan law prohibits the acquisition of trustee land as private property, he noted.
Lukwago also accused the Ministry for Kampala and senior government officials of backing a so-called “midnight land grab” the day before Kiggundu broke ground, aimed at seizing contested land along the Nakivubo corridor.
The area in question spans from Ham Stadium through Jugula, Park Yard, Kiseka Market, New Taxi Park, Kiwologoma, and Namirembe Road.
“I wrote to NEMA requesting documentation on Ham Kiggundu’s projects, including the environmental assessment report on August 2, 2025, but they have refused to respond,” Lukwago revealed, highlighting gaps in environmental oversight.
Social media has circulated an unverified certificate purportedly issued by NEMA for the works, raising questions about transparency and accountability.
The Nakivubo Channel dispute is part of a larger pattern of controversial developments in Kampala, including encroachments on Lubigi and Bugolobi wetlands.
Lukwago recalled a 2025 KCCA council report recommending the cancellation of all land titles along the corridor, a moratorium on new developments, the reinstatement of criminal proceedings against Kiggundu, and reprimanding former KCCA Executive Director Frank Rusa.
Instead, the council approved the continuation of the projects and controversially rewarded Rusa.
To address the crisis, Lukwago announced an urgent meeting with stakeholders, including mayors and councillors led by National Unity Platform Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, aimed at curbing “this thuggery.”
He further stated that the city is exploring ways to compensate victims of the flooding, with Kiggundu potentially held liable.
“Whatever is going on downtown is impunity with collusion from state actors,” Lukwago warned, underlining the urgent need for accountability, proper urban planning, and environmental governance in Kampala.
