President Museveni gives a nod to Ham’s proposal to develop Nakivubo channel

President Museveni has approved the development of Nakivubo Channel by Kampala Businessman Hamis Kiggundu, also known as Ham.

In an August, 2, 2025 letter to the Prime Minister, President Museveni said he approved Ham’s proposal to redevelop, upgrade, beautify, and improve the Nakivubo channel.

“Ham points out that the fact that the channel is open, invites people to throw in rubbish including plastics, feaces, etc , all of which disgust the people , contagious to the channel, lead to blockages of the channel and flooding,” Museveni said.

The letter also copied to the vice president, Minister for Kampala, Minister of Finance, Minister of Education and sports , Attorney General and Minister for Presidency gives the businessman, the green light to develop the channel.

“I approve of the plan. Help him to execute,” Museveni directed.

The president said Ham will be able to recoup his investment by constructing properties on top of the channel where he will be getting rent.

“His proposal is imaginative and simple. Allow him to cover the channel after cleaning it and strengthening it at his own cost. What a really godly proposal! How will he recover his money? Allow him build properties above it that will bring back his money,” Museveni said.

KCCA, which is providing technical oversight and aligning the initiative with the city’s drainage master plan, had earlier  welcomed the public-private partnership as a blueprint for solving Kampala’s toughest challenges.

“The collaboration between public institutions and private investors such as Hamis Kiggundu is exactly what Kampala needs to address long-standing urban challenges. This is not only about AFCON; it is about leaving a permanent legacy of safety, beauty and functionality for city residents,” said a KCCA official.

City Mayor however said “It is unacceptable for someone like Hamis Kiggundu to step in and claim to develop Nakivubo Channel on our behalf as KCCA without an approved plans and in the name of charity. What he is doing is illegal. If his intentions are genuine and lawful, why doesnt he present his proposal openly,”

He described Kiggundu’s proposal as “imaginative and simple,” allowing him to cover the channel after cleaning and strengthening it at his own cost.

The President’s approval comes with a plan for Kiggundu to recover his investment through property development above the channel.

The recommendations are now guiding the project’s roll-out to ensure it delivers both environmental safeguards and world-class infrastructure.

Ham pesenting to  President Museveni

Ham, who is financing the redevelopment, the project goes beyond infrastructure.

“Nakivubo Channel has been a source of floods, insecurity and loss of life for too long. This redevelopment is about giving Kampala a clean, safe and modern urban drainage system. It’s a responsibility we owe our people, and a statement that Uganda is ready for the future,” he said.

Once complete, the new Nakivubo Channel will feature underground flood-control chambers, advanced waste-filtration systems, pedestrian-friendly walkways, and landscaped green spaces. What was once a scar running through Kampala will instead become a symbol of smart city design, resilience, and pride.