President Museveni has cleared Kampala businessman Hamis Kiggundu, popularly known as Ham, to redevelop Nakivubo Channel by constructing commercial properties over the city’s key drainage system.
The decision has sparked debate over urban planning, environmental risks, and public safety.
In a letter dated August 2, 2025, addressed to the Prime Minister and copied to the Vice President, Kampala Minister, Minister of Finance, Minister of Education and Sports, Attorney General, Minister for Presidency, and Hamis Kiggundu, Museveni endorsed the businessman’s plan.
“Ham points out that the fact that the channel is open invites people to dump rubbish, including plastics and faecal matter, all of which clog the channel and cause flooding,” Museveni wrote.
He described Ham’s proposal as “imaginative and simple” and instructed officials to support the project.
“Allow him to cover the channel after cleaning and strengthening it at his own cost. I approve of the plan. Help him to execute,” the President’s directive reads.
The letter was released to the public on the heels of the Lord Mayor's desperate cries to the public.
At the weekend, Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago accused Ham of preparing to forcibly take control of a contested stretch of the Nakivubo channel corridor in what he calls a “midnight land grab.”
Lukwago claimed the targeted section runs from Ham Stadium through Jugula, Park Yard, Kiseka Market, New Taxi Park, Kiwologoma, and Namirembe Road.
The Lord Mayor said Ham was being backed by the Ministry for Kampala and senior government figures, naming Godfrey Kirumira and Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa among those involved.
“This is impunity at its peak,” Lukwago said, adding that Ham appears to be “protected by the powers that be” and is preparing to resume works at midnight.
“We have furiously fought the development of the channel at every stage and risked our lives, but we are on our own,” he lamented.
Under the approved plan, Ham will recoup his investment by constructing malls and other commercial properties atop the channel, a move expected to generate substantial revenue.
Supporters argue that the project could modernize the area, reduce littering, and address perennial flooding caused by blocked drainage.
The proposal, however, faces stiff resistance from Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who has repeatedly warned that covering a major drainage channel could worsen urban flooding, undermine environmental safeguards, and set a dangerous precedent for public-private projects over critical infrastructure.
Urban planners and environmentalists have also expressed concerns about potential ecological and hydrological impacts by the same businessman who took over Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium and large chunks of what was Owino Market (St Balikuddembe) before redeveloping malls under a stadium he named after himself.
Nakivubo Channel is a vital part of Kampala’s drainage system, running through low-lying areas and discharging into Lake Victoria.
It has historically been prone to blockages and flooding during heavy rains, affecting thousands of city residents.
Critics argue that any construction above the channel must undergo rigorous environmental and engineering scrutiny to prevent disaster.
With presidential approval in place, Kiggundu is expected to commence cleanup and structural reinforcement works before initiating construction.
Officials in the Ministry of Kampala and related agencies have been tasked with facilitating the project, although public debate and legal scrutiny are likely to continue as details of the redevelopment unfold.
