Parliament gives KCCA seven days to explain Kampala flooding

What the report says

Uganda’s Parliamentary Committee on Physical Infrastructure has ordered the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to provide a report within seven days explaining how it manages drainage in the capital and why flooding continues to affect the city. The directive followed committee inspections at several flood-prone areas, including Nalukolongo-Najjanankumbi, Lugogo and Kyambogo, where lawmakers examined channels and developments linked to repeated inundation.

Committee chair Mwine Mpaka said the probe was driven by the heavy human and economic losses caused by flooding. He referenced UNDP estimates, cited in the report, that Uganda loses about US$50 million a year to flood damage. The committee said it found possible gaps in approvals for some developments, including claims that technical advice from KCCA engineers may have been overlooked. MPs also raised concerns about construction on drainage corridors and about the public cost of compensation and flood control.

According to the report, Parliament has asked the National Building Review Board for an independent assessment after receiving a Ministry of Works and Transport report. Mpaka said government has already spent nearly 20 billion shillings compensating residents in the Nalukolongo-Najjanankumbi area alone. He said developers whose projects block drainage should contribute to maintenance costs, and warned that officials who approved plans against technical advice could face discipline or prosecution.

KCCA Deputy Executive Director Benon Kigenyi said the authority has a master plan meant to guide urban growth, address climate change and close infrastructure gaps. The committee’s inquiry will consider whether engineering problems, weak enforcement, poor planning or unlawful construction are driving Kampala’s worsening floods.