Ham’s Nakivubo channel takeover: will it be a hit or miss for the city?
It is no longer a matter of if, but when businessman Hamis Kiggundu, popularly known as Ham, will commence what he calls a “historic transformation of the Nakivubo drainage channel.”
At the moment, what is barring him are technicalities and procedural process but as the city holds its breath for what awaits them, David Lumu & Geofrey Serugo delve into the intricacies that may make or break the project.
The controversial project, whose approval was sealed by an August 2 letter by President Museveni, has divided city dwellers, stirred tensions amongst different members in Kampala’s political and technical leadership on top of dragging in environmental entities and social development experts.
“I have got a very good proposal from Ham Kiggundu dated July 25, 2025, regarding the Nakivubo drainage channel. Ham points out the fact that the channel is open, invites people to throw rubbish, including plastics, faeces, etc, all of which disgust the people contiguous to the channel, lead to blockage of the channel and flooding,” reads part of the president’s letter addressed to the prime minister Robinah Nabbanja as well as the vice president Jessica Alupo, among others.
“His proposal is imaginative and simple. Allow him to cover the channel after clearing it and strengthening it at his cost. What a really godly proposal? How will he recover his money? Simple. Allow him to build properties above it that will bring back the money. I approve of the plan. Help him execute.”
However, the move has come under criticism from some stakeholders, particularly the Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, who accuses everyone involved of bypassing established procedures.
“So, Mr Museveni is now an architect or planner who approves the city plans!!! Does this letter confer absolute ownership of Nakivubo drainage channel onto Mr Kiggundu Hamis in perpetuity since he is being given a leeway to construct his own commercial structures thereon? How does one dole out a public asset by just a stroke of a pen? Ohhh Lord!!!”
“Just because we have a messed-up city not every Tom, Dick and Harry should come wherever they are, grab our property in the name of development.”
CONTEXT
The concept of building over the Nakivubo channel was first introduced in the early 2000s as part of a broader initiative to revitalize the city’s urban spaces. The idea was to create a public space that would also act as a reservoir during heavy rainfall to prevent flooding in the city’s low-lying areas.
The length of the area of Nakivubo channel that Ham seeks to cover occupies a very delicate space that goes through a busy transport network, several commercial buildings as well as Owino market. Unofficial estimates suggest that the cost of just covering the channel will cost approximately $10 million (Shs 36 billion) to $15 million (Shs 54 billion).
Kiggundu hopes that his innovation will transform Nakivubo from a filthy health risk and turn it to be a symbol of innovation and sustainability to inspire areas around the city to explore similar solutions to their own urban challenges. There is still some way to go before Ham commences the project, but his multifaceted measure and innovation could make or break the city’s stormwater resource management system.
Being a primary channel, Nakivubo is part of the 78km Kampala drainage system that connects directly to Lake Victoria. Other primary channels include Lubigi, Nalukolongo, Ggaba, Kansanga, Mayanja, Kinawataka, Nalubaga and Walufumbe. So, any adverse effect on Nakivubo directly affects Kampala’s drainage system.
“Ham is daring to come with something no one has tried before in Uganda. It is very risky for all the city’s stakeholders and, therefore, there is need to involve all stakeholders in the decision-making process, they will more likely support and use the infrastructure, which helps to promote its long-term success and sustainability, says Dr Fred Muhumuza, an economist.
“It will also generate opportunities to create a sense of order among city dwellers and create a mindset shift. One of the key factors to make or break Ham’s initiative will be community engagement and consultation in the design and feasibility process. A collaborative effort that involves extensive public engagement and consultation will help to ensure that Nakivubo channel meets the needs and intended expectations,” he says.
Amanda Ngabirano, an urban planner and chairperson of the National Physical Planning Board, says the point to discuss is the legal procedure Ham has to adhere to.
“But also, it is important to note that public land, open spaces, wetlands, forests, etc, are places to be protected in public interest! Individualism is a real threat in emerging economies,” she says.
“I am certain the covered Nakivubo channel will play an important role in improving the quality of Kampala’s urban public space.”
Meanwhile, David Luyimbazi Ssali, the former KCCA deputy executive director, says Ham’s project can be understood as a two-fold strategy.
“Look at it this way. Studies have shown over time that Kampala loses about $100m every year due to flood damage. Arcades are losing value due to traffic slowdown and mobility, especially when it rains.
So, that’s where private investors like Ham come into play. If he can improve the channel and maintain it well, it will be a win-win situation. We did a number of benchmarking trips and discovered that flood-prone cities like Singapore and Rotterdam are already engaging investors to build over and maintain the part of the channel they use. So, the Public Private Partnerships are crucial for cities to survive, and Ham is taking the burden off government as a tradeoff for the free land,” he says.
“The success of Nakivubo project may also help promote a shift towards more integrated and sustainable approaches to urban stormwater management. Rather than relying solely on traditional infrastructure of open channels and the use of culverts in covered spaces, cities are increasingly exploring the use of green infrastructure, such as underground channels, rain gardens and permeable pavements to manage stormwater and to promote sustainable water use.”
The fact is that the KCCA budget is drained, and of the Shs 1.4 trillion budgeted for in the financial year 2024/2025, the entity received just Shs 300bn.
“We cannot implement anything without money; so, Ham’s emergence to develop and maintain Nakivubo channel is a stitch in time. It is a win-win situation for everyone involved,” adds Luyimbazi.
“So, the benefits of this approach of developing the channel are that it will create own-source revenues such as property taxes, local sales taxes, fees for services (utilities, permits).
This public-private partnership and many others to come will create off-balance sheet resources so project benefits are enjoyed early instead of waiting for government to collect enough taxes or borrowing to build. Meanwhile, through land value capture, the project will tap into the wealth it creates such as development rights to air space above the channel and its reserves.”
MISSED OPPORTUNITY!
The emergence of Ham’s Nakivubo project comes on the back of a similar project by KCCA to transform the Lubigi and Nakamiro channels in 2021. Under the Kampala Drainage Masterplan to reduce flooding in the city, Lubigi and Nakamiro had been earmarked for transformation from open channels into engineered channels.
A study done in 2015 showed that KCCA required about $200m to stop stormwater, sewage and industrial effluent from suffocating the wetlands. To address the situation KCCA secured funding from the World Bank in 2021 but the project was suspended after encroachers on the two drainage reserves, encouraged by some politicians, claimed ownership of the land and demanded compensation.
“We realized that the cost of compensating these people would be almost equal to the project implementation itself. That’s how the World Bank pulled away their funding,” says a top KCCA official who prefers anonymity.
“At the moment, KCCA is struggling to raise funding to Kampala’s drainage masterplan. We know Ham is yet to win over the public about the benefits from his intended developments and has not yet fully complied with the KCCA physical planning and building regulations. However, the city needs to innovate and come up to terms with reality,” says the official.
“The lord mayor is right to say there should be a contractual mechanism before any commencement of the project but government doesn’t have money for these projects. We cannot wait forever because that is how dillydallying caused the Kiteezi disaster.”
The official further intimates that from the moment of the confirmation of Ham’s project, several investors have approached KCCA for allocation of land on channels for similar projects.
“It has triggered a buzz of excitement and speculation. If investors can maintain the whole Nakivubo channel, then it would be a win-win situation for everyone. The test will be with Ham’s progress.”
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