Uganda’s Engineers Registration Board (ERB) has questioned the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) over the ongoing redevelopment of the Nakivubo Channel, citing concerns that noncompliance with engineering and environmental standards could worsen the city’s persistent flood problem.
ERB Raises Red Flags Over Project Transparency
In a letter dated October 6, 2025, ERB Chairman Professor Henry Mwanaki Alinaitwe demanded detailed technical documentation from KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki, warning that the drainage works may be advancing without mandatory feasibility studies and environmental assessments.
“The redevelopment of the Nakivubo Channel, a critical urban drainage corridor discharging into the Victoria Basin, must follow all required studies and technical procedures,” Alinaitwe cautioned. “Failure to adhere to established engineering standards could lead to catastrophic consequences.”
The board’s intervention follows months of heavy flooding in Kampala’s downtown areas, including Industrial Area, Clock Tower, and Kisenyi, where clogged drainage and silted waterways left businesses submerged and transport networks crippled.
Urban Flood Risks and Poor Drainage
Environmental experts have long linked Kampala’s recurring floods to weak urban planning, unchecked construction, and solid waste dumping. Torrential rains in August and September exposed the Nakivubo Channel’s deteriorating capacity, turning low-lying neighborhoods into flood hotspots.
As rainfall patterns become more unpredictable due to climate change, the ERB fears that inadequate design or oversight could compromise the channel’s long-term flood management role. It has asked KCCA to clarify who is responsible for project design, supervision, and construction — and whether approvals were granted by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Directorate of Water Resources Management (DWRM).
Demand for Engineering Standards and Climate Adaptation
The KCCA Nakivubo Channel redevelopment, the board stressed, must integrate adaptive designs that consider Kampala’s expanding impervious surfaces and climate pressures. The ERB also wants assurances that national and international engineering standards are being applied to prevent past drainage failures from recurring.
Operating under the Ministry of Works and Transport, the ERB regulates professional engineering practice in Uganda and advises on the technical integrity of public projects. The board reaffirmed its readiness to work with KCCA to ensure transparency and sustainable urban drainage.
KCCA has one month to respond to the ERB’s request. The exchange underscores the growing pressure on Kampala’s authorities to prioritize long-term resilience planning over short-term flood mitigation fixes — with the future of the Nakivubo Channel central to the city’s battle against chronic flooding.
