Museveni Pledges Support For Traders Affected By Nakivubo Floods, Vows To Correct Mistakes

By Our Reporter

President Yoweri Museveni has pledged government support for traders whose goods were destroyed in last week’s floods that struck downtown Kampala.

In a statement issued last night, the President assured that any mistakes related to the ongoing construction works over Nakivubo Channel would be “corrected.”

He directed the Minister of State for General Duties, Justine Kasule Lumumba, to chair a meeting today with affected traders and other key stakeholders. Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, who was initially scheduled to preside over the meeting, is currently out of the country.

“If it is Ham… because they are saying that it was Ham who built on the Nakivubo Channel, we shall get the facts and correct the mistake,” Museveni said.

The floods, triggered by heavy rains on Friday, October 31, 2025, inundated several arcades and streets around Nakivubo Channel, causing extensive losses to traders. Media and official reports through the weekend and into Monday highlighted widespread damage, shop flooding, traffic paralysis, and at least four fatalities as emergency crews responded across the central business district.

The incident has intensified scrutiny of projects linked to businessman Hamis “Ham” Kiggundu.

On Monday, two traders’ associations—Kampala Arcades Traders Association (KATA) and United Nakivubo Traders Association (UNATA)—filed a lawsuit in the High Court against Kiggundu, his company Kiham Enterprises Ltd, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), and the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). The petition accuses the parties of carrying out illegal construction on the Nakivubo Channel, allegedly obstructing stormwater flow and leading to massive losses for traders.

Meanwhile, KCCA leaders met representatives of the affected traders yesterday at City Hall. Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki and Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago said a follow-up meeting with the Prime Minister is expected today to agree on next steps. Among the proposed measures is the deployment of a verification team to assess individual losses—with landlord confirmation—to guide potential compensation.

In August, President Museveni had written to the Prime Minister describing Kiggundu’s plan to cover and reinforce the Nakivubo Channel as “imaginative,” and endorsed it in principle. That prior approval now sits at the heart of both the traders’ lawsuit and a growing public debate over accountability and urban planning in Kampala.