Residents of Kawempe division in Kampala City are complaining about the abandoned Nsooba-Lubigi channel. In 2011, Kampala Capital City Authority –KCCA under the Kampala Institutional and Infrastructure Development Project embarked on the construction of Lubigi channel to reduce flooding in Kawempe division. Lubigi drainage channel stretches from Nsooba near Mulago hospital to Busega.
But midway, the project Uganda National Roads Authority redesigned the Kalerwe roundabout and introduced a fly over on the Northern Bypass connecting to Bwaise. UNRA accused KCCA of encroaching on the road reserve which affected the construction of Lubigi Drainage Channel from Gayaza road to Bwaise. As a result, KCCA abandoned the construction of the drainage channel to pave way for the construction of fly over at Kalerwe leaving it open.
By the time the work was stopped, Spencon Construction Company had dug up a deep channel measuring 30 ft wide and 15 ft deep but left it uncovered. The channel is now filled with stagnant water posing a great risk to residents most especially children as they go fishing and swimming in the dirty water. Jennifer Namukasa, a resident of Kawempe division says that the open channel is a death trap.
She explains that part of the water in the open channel is covered with flowers, which could be deceptive to visitors and children. Namukasa says that some thugs in the area have been robbing people and threatening to drown then in the dirty water.
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Yasin Mukasa, the secretary Kibe Zone Village council says that they have written to KCCA officials about the open channel but there has been no response. Mukasa says that they have been monitoring the channel to deter children from playing in the dirty water but they seem to be hitting a dead end because the channel is too wide.
He says that currently, the only viable solution would be to fence off the channel or fill it will murrum to prevent any danger to the residents. Peter Kaujju, the KCCA public relations officer says that a solution would be found soon to protect the lives of the residents. Kaujju admits they had issues with UNRA, but says that they have sent engineers on ground to work out a solution.
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Dan Alinange, the UNRA public relations officer, told URN that they stopped the construction of the drainage channel because it would affect the redesigning of the Northern Bypass. He says that KCCA has to stay the project until August this year. The construction of the drainage channel is estimated to cost shillings 20 billion.
