Kampala hawkers want compensation over Ham’s Nakivubo drainage channel development plan

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Kampala hawkers are demanding compensation and transparency after businessman Hamis Kiggundu’s controversial plan to redevelop the Nakivubo drainage channel displaced vendors and sparked fears of environmental harm. Backed by President Museveni, the project faces fierce opposition from traders, city authorities and environmental experts who warn of illegal land grabs and uncontrolled flooding.

The President backed Kiggundu’s proposal on the grounds that since the channel is open, it invites people to throw in rubbish, including plastics, faeces, among other things, which disgusts the people contiguous to the channel, leading to blockages and flooding.

Livelihood question

Hundreds of vendors have protested the redevelopment, accusing Ham Enterprises of evicting them without compensation.

Siraj Ssekandi, a hawker, allegedly since the 1990s, recounted to New Vision Online how military and Police forces sealed off their stalls overnight.

“We were forced to leave with no notice or support,” he said during a media briefing on

Wednesday (August 20, 2025) at the National Unity Platform (NUP) party headquarters in Kampala city's Makerere, Kavule.

Single mother Hadijah Nanfuka lamented the loss of her decades-old clothing stall, now destroyed by construction.

“I’m a single parent with no place to go,” she said.

Security guard Richard Kibirige added that the Uganda Revenue Authority's closures and Ham’s construction had ruined his business. Joseph Bukenya, the vice-chairperson of the Hawkers Association, condemned the lack of relocation plans: “We were evicted without warning, collapsing our livelihoods.”

A group of hawkers led by Hadijah Nanfuka who sells shirts near the Nakivubo channel which Ham has blocked. (Photo by Isaac Nuwagaba)

Modernising the drainage channel

Ham Enterprises claims the project will modernise the drainage channel with flood-control systems, walkways and green spaces. Kiggundu promised a “beautified channel” to ease flooding and restore order. However, critics argue the plan lacks legal permits and community consultation.

Drainage channel. (photo by Stuart Yiga)

City authorities clash with the developer

Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago called the project “illegal and fraudulent,” citing Ham’s failure to secure Kampala Capital City Authority permits and the environment authority clearance.

“Traders are losing their livelihoods with no alternatives,” he said.

NUP Secretary General David Rubongoya warned the project prioritises profit over people, deepening Kampala’s divides.

Kampala affairs shadow minister Ronald Balimwezo cautioned that covering the drainage without safeguards could worsen flooding and health risks.

“The Nakivubo channel is a lifeline for waste management. Altering it without a master plan spells disaster,” he said.

While supporters see the project as a step toward modernisation, critics fear it enriches elites at the expense of the poor.

Kampalans remain split over the project as they are caught between development promises and the reality of lost livelihoods.