Ham Begins Redevelopment Drive with Massive Nakivubo Cleanup

Kampala’s Nakivubo drainage channel, long known for flooding and poor sanitation, is set for major transformation after businessman Hamis Kiggundu launched an intensive cleanup exercise along its lower section. The operation, which involved excavators, trucks, and teams of workers, marked the beginning of long-awaited redevelopment works that authorities and residents hope will address the city’s chronic drainage challenges.

For years, the channel has been overwhelmed by waste and silt, turning into both an eyesore and a health hazard. Businesses around downtown Kampala have repeatedly suffered flooding whenever heavy rains hit, with blocked waterways leaving shops and streets submerged. On Monday, heaps of garbage were hauled out of the channel as heavy machinery opened clogged passages, a step that Kiggundu described as essential to preparing the ground for construction.

“This is the foundation of something bigger,” Kiggundu said as he toured the site. “We are going to redevelop Nakivubo Channel into a modern system that not only improves drainage but also enhances the image of the city. Kampala deserves infrastructure that matches its growth.”

The businessman, popularly known as Ham, has tied the initiative to a wider vision of urban renewal. He is already redeveloping the Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium and has pledged to integrate commercial infrastructure into the drainage project. Early designs suggest the channel will be covered, with service lanes and pedestrian pathways created above it, alongside water treatment chambers to improve sanitation.

Local leaders and traders welcomed the move, noting that past promises to fix the channel have often ended in delays. “We hope this time something serious is happening,” said a shop owner near Kisenyi. “Every rainy season we lose goods because of flooding. If this project works, it will be a relief to us.”

The redevelopment is expected to roll out in phases, beginning with clearance and dredging before construction works commence in earnest. Authorities say the project will require close coordination between private developers and government agencies, particularly to ensure proper waste management and sustainable use of the upgraded space.

Images from the cleanup showed bulldozers scooping thick sludge, trucks ferrying garbage, and workers in reflective jackets guiding the operation. By late afternoon, sections of the channel that had been clogged for years were visibly open, giving residents a glimpse of what a fully rehabilitated system might look like.

While questions remain about timelines and long-term management, Monday’s cleanup has given momentum to a project that many in Kampala have been waiting for. If completed as planned, the redevelopment of Nakivubo Channel could finally turn one of the city’s most problematic features into a model of modern urban infrastructure.