For years, the Nakivubo drainage channel has been Kampala’s shame, an open sewer running through the heart of the city, choked with garbage and sewage, notorious for floods that destroy businesses and endanger lives.
Now, businessman Hamis Kiggundu, better known as Ham, has set out to turn this neglected channel into a centerpiece of urban renewal.
His Shs 180 billion ($50m) redevelopment plan, endorsed by President Museveni, promises to replace foul odours and seasonal flooding with modern infrastructure, clean spaces, and new commercial opportunities.
What Ham Envisions
Ham’s team has already started desilting and reinforcing the channel, the first steps toward constructing a covered concrete culvert that can withstand Kampala’s heaviest storms. On top, a new face of the city will emerge; landscaped parks, walkways, retail spaces, and green leisure areas.
Urban experts say the benefits will be immediate. Covering the channel eliminates a major breeding ground for disease and drastically reduces the risk of flooding in downtown Kampala. For market vendors in Owino Jenifer Namuli, who often loses stock to floods, this project could be life changing. “The smell, the floods, it ruins our work,” she says. “If this project is finished, it will save us.”
Economists add that the development will generate thousands of jobs during construction and at least 5,000 permanent positions once businesses begin operating along the redeveloped corridor. Rising property values and higher city revenues are expected to follow.
Lukwago on the Defensive
Not everyone is applauding. Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has questioned why Ham should hold land titles connected to the drainage, casting doubt on the project. It is a stance consistent with Lukwago’s record: over 15 years at City Hall, critics argue he has earned a reputation for blocking initiatives rather than advancing them.
This time, however, Lukwago’s opposition is isolating him even within the opposition camp.
Opposition Cracks
Former Nakawa Mayor and now Nakawa East MP Hon Ronald Nsubuga Balimwezo who is preparing to challenge Lukwago on the NUP ticket, has openly welcomed Ham’s initiative, describing the businessman as “pragmatic” and forward-looking. In his view, Kampala needs bold, practical solutions not endless wrangling.
Behind the scenes, other opposition figures share the same opinion. Several told us that Ham’s plan represents exactly the kind of development Kampala needs, but they hesitate to go public, fearing Lukwago might use their support to attack them politically.
Still, the quiet endorsements suggest a wider recognition that Lukwago’s politics are holding the city back. As one opposition insider put it: “Kampala deserves progress, not political games.”
A New Model for Kampala
Ham’s project is also being hailed as a test case for public-private partnerships. Instead of waiting for government funds, he is investing his own resources to fix a public problem, while securing development rights on the reclaimed land. Kampala gains free infrastructure, Ham makes a long-term investment, and the city sets a precedent for how to solve future challenges.
Urban analysts say this shift from depending on government budgets to leveraging private capital—could reshape how Kampala tackles issues like waste management and traffic congestion.
The Bigger Choice
As construction moves forward, the debate is sharpening into a choice between progress and obstruction. Ham’s vision promises jobs, health improvements, and a greener, safer city. Lukwago, meanwhile, is accused of clinging to politics that have kept Kampala stagnant.
For ordinary ‘Kampalans’, the decision seems obvious. They want solutions, not stalemates. They want a city where families can stroll along parks instead of skirting sewage, and where businesses can thrive without fear of floods.
The Nakivubo channel may once have symbolised failure, but in Ham’s hands, it could become the ultimate proof that Kampala is ready to move forward if its leaders are willing to step aside and let progress happen.
