By Ben Musanje
A powerful Friday afternoon downpour swept across Kampala and turned many roads into rushing streams for a few minutes. But according to Sharifah Buzeki, the heavy rain also revealed something many city residents have been waiting to hear: Kampala’s drainage system is starting to show real improvement.
In a message shared on her official X page, the Executive Director of Kampala Capital City Authority said the storm acted like a big test for the city’s drainage network.
“Today’s heavy rainfall put our drainage systems to the test,” she said, noting that while Kampala has not yet reached the level of flood protection it wants, the results from the storm were encouraging.
For years, heavy rain in the Ugandan capital meant long hours of flooding that could paralyze traffic, close shops, and leave businesses counting huge losses. Some streets would remain underwater for hours or even days.
But Friday’s storm told a different story.
Several well-known parts of the city experienced flash floods as the rain poured down intensely. Areas such as Sebana Road, Clock Tower, Forest Mall, Golf Course Road, and Allen Road were among the places where water quickly collected on the roads.
However, the situation changed quickly.
According to Buzeki, in most of those areas the flood water disappeared within about seven minutes.
This is a big change compared to the past, when similar rainstorms would leave the same areas flooded for long periods, disrupting traffic and business activity across the city.
City engineers say the quick drainage is the result of several upgrades carried out by Kampala Capital City Authority in recent months.
One of the key improvements has been the construction of 16 new crossing culverts along Allen Road and Sebana Road that connect directly into the Nakivubo Channel.
These culverts allow storm water to move faster away from busy streets and into the main drainage channel, reducing the time water stays on the roads.
Even so, the rainstorm still exposed some weak points.
Two commercial buildings — Totala Business Centre and Qualicell Building — experienced flooding in their basements during the storm. Officials said the flooding was caused by drainage challenges inside the buildings rather than the city’s external drainage system.
In response, the KCCA drainage response team was quickly deployed to the buildings with suction trucks to pump out the water and prevent further damage.
More drainage improvements are already underway across the city.
Construction crews are currently installing new longitudinal drainage along Ben Kiwanuka Street, while a larger box culvert is planned for Namirembe Road under the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Project.
Officials say these projects will further increase the city’s ability to handle intense storms that have become more common in recent years.
Despite the progress, Buzeki admitted that more work still needs to be done before Kampala becomes fully resilient to flooding.
She also urged residents, traders, and property owners to play their part in keeping the city safe during heavy rains.
According to the KCCA boss, blocked drainage channels caused by poorly disposed garbage remain one of the biggest threats to the city’s drainage system.
“When people dump waste in drainage channels, the water cannot move freely,” she warned.
Buzeki called on everyone in the city to dispose of waste responsibly and avoid blocking drainage pathways.
She emphasized that building a cleaner and safer capital city requires cooperation between the authorities and the public.
As Kampala continues to expand and face stronger storms, the Executive Director said Kampala Capital City Authority remains committed to improving infrastructure and protecting residents from devastating floods.
For many city dwellers who watched the floodwaters disappear in minutes on Friday, the storm may have delivered an unexpected message: Kampala’s long fight against flooding might finally be turning a corner. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
