The floods that ravaged downtown Kampala on October 31, were not just a tragedy; they were a betrayal.
Three lives lost and billions in property destroyed. And yet, the cries of ordinary Ugandans are being drowned out, not by the rain, but by the silence, indifference, and misplaced priorities.
This disaster did not begin with the rain; it began with a presidential endorsement.
In August, President Museveni gave his blessing to city businessman Hamis Kiggundu’s proposal to cover the Nakivubo drainage channel and redevelop the area.
The plan was hailed as ‘godly’ and ‘imaginative.’ But what followed was anything but divine. Instead of prioritising drainage and flood mitigation, the focus shifted to erecting arcades while the city’s lifeline lies buried and broken.
There was no transparent process, no public tender, no environmental audit, no consultation with the people whose livelihoods depend on the Nakivubo corridor.
The Kampala Capital City Authority(KCCA) was sidelined, and the Kampala City Traders Association(Kacita) is now pleading for intervention. And yet, as traders waded through sewage to salvage their goods, thousands of Ugandans gathered at Hamz stadium on November 1 to watch a football match (Masaza Cup Finals).
A match! While families mourned their dead and counted their losses, the city cheered from the stands. This is heartbreaking. We must ask: What kind of society are we becoming? One that celebrates concrete over compassion?
One that applauds development while ignoring the destruction it leaves behind? The cries of the ordinary people must be heard. We need accountability, not just from Ham, but from every official who enabled this disaster.
We cannot normalise this suffering. We cannot let these deaths become statistics buried in bureaucratic reports.
Kampala is bleeding, and we must respond not with silence but with solidarity. We need transparency in urban planning, emergency relief for affected traders, and a public inquiry into the Nakivubo project.
I do not write this as a distant observer; I write this as someone deeply scarred by the heartbreak unfolding around me.
This pain is not abstract. It is the raw grief of a mother who arrived to find her life’s work drowned in sewage. It is the silent devastation of a young man staring at his boda boda, now a rusted relic of dreams washed away. It is the collective cry of a city suffocating under neglect, pleading for help that never comes.
This is not just about water. It is about the lives and dignity of Ugandans. It’s about justice! Kampala is not just flooded, it is wounded, and the silence in response is louder than the storm.
Let this be a message to call for action. Let it stir hearts and move hands. If we do not act now, the next storm will not just wash away our streets, it will wash away our humanity.