A subtle but consequential confrontation is unfolding between the Engineers Registration Board (ERB) and the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) over the ongoing redevelopment of the Nakivubo Channel, one of the city’s most critical urban drainage arteries.
The project, backed by businessman Hamis Kiggundu, commonly known as Ham, has come under sharp scrutiny from the professional engineering regulator amid questions of transparency, technical compliance, and public safety.
In a formal letter dated October 6, 2025, addressed to KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki, the Engineers Board demanded full disclosure of the engineers and firms behind the multi-billion-shilling channel works.
The correspondence, signed by Prof. Eng. Henry Mwanaki Alinaitwe, the Board’s chairperson, and officially received by KCCA on October 8, calls for clarity on the qualifications, registration, and supervision structure of those undertaking the high-risk civil engineering project.
The ERB’s intervention follows weeks of public concern after torrential rains flooded arcades and commercial buildings around the Nakivubo Channel and Kisenyi, destroying merchandise worth billions of shillings.
It is against this backdrop that the Engineers Board is now pressing KCCA for answers on who is behind the project, and whether it adheres to engineering and environmental laws.
In the letter titled “Request for Information Regarding the Redevelopment of Nakivubo Channel,” the Board raises questions about whether the redevelopment has been carried out under the direction of duly registered engineers, as required by the Engineers Registration Act, Cap 299.
The Board writes that it has “received reports and observed works” on the channel that appear to be proceeding without disclosure of the professionals in charge.
The letter calls on KCCA to “furnish the Board with the names, registration numbers, and categories of all engineers and firms involved in the design, supervision, and construction” of the project.
Prof. Alinaitwe notes that the information is necessary to verify compliance with the law, which mandates that all engineering work in Uganda must be directed by licensed practitioners.
Without such information, the Board argues, it cannot ascertain whether the works meet the required technical and ethical standards.
In the same letter, the ERB warns that the redevelopment of Nakivubo Channel has “serious safety and environmental implications” that demand professional scrutiny.
It observes that the channel, which carries stormwater from Kisenyi, Katwe, Nakawa, and parts of the Industrial Area into Lake Victoria, plays a crucial role in preventing urban flooding.
The Board cautions that any errors in its design or construction could have “catastrophic consequences for public safety and urban resilience.”
It urges KCCA to share details on the design basis, flood modeling data, and environmental approvals underpinning the works.
“The Board requests confirmation that all necessary approvals, including Environmental Impact Assessments from NEMA and hydrological studies approved by the Directorate of Water Resources Management, were secured before implementation,” the letter reads in part.
It also questions whether the project design accounts for climate change impacts, increased surface runoff due to urbanization, and the need for sustainable silt and waste management systems which are critical for long-term flood control.
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The redevelopment of the Nakivubo Channel is widely associated with city tycoon Hamis Kiggundu, whose company, Ham Enterprises (U) Ltd, is spearheading massive commercial reconstruction projects in downtown Kampala.
Kiggundu’s developments, including Nakivubo Stadium and surrounding infrastructure, have dramatically altered the city’s drainage landscape.
The ERB’s demand that KCCA disclose the names of the firms behind the project appears aimed at establishing whether the works linked to Kiggundu’s redevelopment fall under proper engineering supervision.
The letter’s tone reflects growing frustration among professional regulators about institutional gaps in infrastructure governance.
While KCCA holds administrative authority over urban projects, the Engineers Board is empowered to enforce compliance with technical standards nationwide.
For years, these two bodies have coexisted uneasily with one concerned with political deliverables while the other with professional standards.
The Nakivubo episode has now brought that tension into the open.
“The Board is mandated to ensure that all engineering works in Uganda are executed under registered engineers for the safety and welfare of the public,”
Prof. Alinaitwe notes, emphasizing that the ERB’s role is not to undermine KCCA but to safeguard the public interest.
Beyond legality, the ERB’s letter represents a deeper push to restore professional integrity to Uganda’s infrastructure sector.
Over the years, reports of shoddy construction, flooding, and collapsing public works have eroded public trust in engineering oversight.
By demanding names, qualifications, and environmental documentation, the Engineers Board is signaling a return to fundamentals where engineering is treated not as a political transaction but as a science governed by competence, ethics, and verifiable accountability.
The Board concludes its letter by expressing willingness to collaborate with KCCA and other stakeholders “to ensure that the Nakivubo Channel Redevelopment Project meets national and international engineering standards while safeguarding the safety, health, and welfare of the public.” It has given KCCA one month from the date of receipt to respond.
Whether KCCA complies remains uncertain, but the stakes are high. The flooding incidents in recent weeks have already cost the business community billions in losses, underscoring the human and economic toll of poor urban planning.
