The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has started construction of a major drainage culvert along Namirembe Road as part of efforts to reduce flooding and improve movement in the city.
The reinforced concrete box culvert is being built under the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Project (GKMA-UDP) and will replace an older drainage structure that has struggled to handle increasing stormwater volumes.
The new culvert measures two metres wide and 1.5 metres high and will channel water from the Non-Motorised Transport corridor, Luwum Street and nearby roads into the Nakivubo drainage system.
KCCA spokesperson Daniel Nuweabine said the project will improve drainage capacity in an area that has experienced water accumulation during heavy rains, affecting pedestrians, motorists and businesses, including Totala Arcade.
“The new box culvert has been designed to accommodate a much larger volume of stormwater. Water flowing from the Non-Motorised Transport corridor, Luwum Street and adjacent roads will now be channelled more efficiently into the Nakivubo drainage system, improving drainage along this section of the city,” Nuweabine said.
The works on Namirembe Road are part of a wider KCCA programme to upgrade Kampala’s drainage network. The authority is also constructing longitudinal drainage along Ben Kiwanuka Street under the same project.
Nuweabine asked residents and road users to remain patient as construction continues.
KCCA has also completed 15 culvert crossings along Allen Road and Ssebana Road, which have improved water flow within the Nakivubo drainage catchment and eased movement for motorists and pedestrians in the city centre.
The authority said it has allocated close to Shs25 billion this financial year to review the Kampala Drainage Master Plan.
In recent years, KCCA has rehabilitated 9.2 kilometres of the Nakivubo drainage channel, constructed the Nakamiro primary drainage channel and completed 4.9 kilometres of the Lubigi drainage channel.
Compensation for people affected by the remaining 980-metre section of the Lubigi project has also been completed, allowing the final phase of construction to proceed.
KCCA has further built community drainage systems and box culverts in flood-prone areas, including the Auto Spa area, while continuing to clear and widen major channels such as Nakivubo, Nalukolongo and Kiwuunya.
The city’s drainage network covers about 362.3 kilometres across eight major catchments: Nakivubo, Lubigi, Walufumbe, Nalukolongo, Kansanga, Kinawataka, Nakamiro and Mayanja.
