By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
President Museveni has approved a plan by Kampala City based tycoon, Hamis Kiggundu to construct houses on top of Nakivubo Channel, drawing public outrage.
In a letter dated 2nd August, 2025 and addressed to the Prime Minister, Rt Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, President Museveni says Kiggundu’s project proposal to clean the channel, strengthen it and the cover it at his own cost is ‘a godly proposal.’
He says Hamis sent him the proposal on 25th July, 2025 suggesting that the perennial blockages of the channel due to dumping of rubbish including plastics can only be solved by covering it up.
“Ham points out that the fact that the channel is open, invites people to throw in rubbish including plastics, faeces etc all of which disgust the people contiguous to the channel, lead to blockages of the channel and flooding,” writes President Museveni.
In order to re-coup his expenses, Ham suggested that he should be permitted to construct on top of the covered up and strengthened channel, a proposal President Museveni has approved.
The President has now directed Nabbanja to help Ham execute the plan.
Responding to the leaked letter, Winnie Byanyima, an opposition figure-head, says, “Uganda cannot be governed by presidential letters.”
Byanyima says the Nakivubo Channel saga shows what happens when one man’s directive replaces law, expertise & institutions.
“Contracting without competition undermines accountability, breeds corruption & erodes trust. Development needs professional planning, not personal whim. Institutions with technical capacity exist to solve such challenges. When the President usurps their role, he weakens governance itself. Power has limits; Uganda’s future depends on restoring them,” she wrote on her X-Account.
