A comprehensive environmental assessment of the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA) has identified Namanve as the region’s most polluted zone, closely followed by Namuwongo, Bugolobi, Nakawa, and surrounding urban hubs.
The findings stem from a specialized study titled ‘Establishing an Air Quality (AQ) Monitoring Network for Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area,’ executed by Queenslands and Leeds Consulting Engineers to pinpoint the capital’s most hazardous pollution hotspots.
Presenting the report, Dr. Lammeck Kajubi of Queenslands and Leeds Consulting Engineers revealed that air quality across the metropolis is being heavily degraded by vehicular traffic. The revelation directly challenges the long-standing assumption that industrialization is the primary driver of Kampala’s dirty air.
According to Dr Kajubi, the sheer volume of daily road transport has shifted the environmental burden onto everyday traffic corridors. He noted that air quality across the GKMA is being significantly affected by vehicles, shifting the spotlight toward urban congestion rather than factory smoke.
The assessment results were officially presented during the release of the Third Annual Performance Assessment (APA3) report for the 2024/25 financial year, which tracks progress across the nine GKMA implementing entities.
As Kampala and its surrounding municipalities undergo rapid population growth and motorization, the report highlights a pressing public health concern for millions of residents who inhale hazardous emissions daily simply by moving around the city. The findings now put pressure on urban authorities to address transport management to safeguard public health across the capital.