The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | There is progress on the expansion works of Nakamiro Channel as Kampala Capital City-KCCA seeks to improve the drainage system in the City to curb flooding. KCCA contracted China Railway and Jiangxi Water and Hydropower Construction Company Limited to expand Nakamiro and Lubigi Channels.
Brain Baagala, the Manager of Drainage at KCCA, says that they have so far constructed two of the four box culverts they intend to install on Nakamiro Channel in Kawempe at Kazo Angola and along Jakana road. Construction of the other two culverts along Bwaise Nabweru road is yet to commence. Currently, there are circular culverts, which Baagala says clog easily whenever it rain when people free garbage into stormwater.
“Good enough it’s going to be big that’s why we are having box culverts since they give clearage in that even when a bag of garbage is dropped in it can easily go through and you find it downstream. We are making sure that in places where blockage would occur we change the designs” says Baagala
Works at Nakamiro Channel started in August 2020. Baagala says the moment culverts are done, laying concrete shall progress faster. A total of 3.2 km will be expanded and lined with reinforced concrete from Kazo Angola to Lubigi along Nakamiro Channel. The channels are lined with stones, using the stone pitching method, which Baagala says is less efficient compared to concrete.
The channel shall have an average width of 7m realigned and widened. There shall be pedestrian bridges, walkways and guardrails. At Lubigi Channel, KCCA is still at the excavation stage and no progress has been made on the planned six box culverts. The authority has not fully acquired right of way and is still engaging the affected residents.
A total of 2.58km of the 7km Lubigi drainage shall be expanded to a width of 100meter and lined with concrete from Bwaise to Kawaala. The downstream section from Kawaala Bridge to Hoima road shall be widened to about 90m. KCCA also plans to construct access ramps and a box culvert at the confluence with Nakamiro. The expansion of channels is intended to deal with the problem of flooding in Kampala.
Nakamiro Channel, which collects water from more than 10 Community channels in Kawempe Division and part of Nabweru Division, is the major secondary channel that feeds into the Primary Lubigi Channel. Mathias Kiggundu, who lives along Nakamiro Channel, says during heavy rains, their compounds and houses flood from stormwater.
He says the storm water comes with a lot of garbage including human and carcasses.
Shakur Waswa, also a resident along Nakamiro Channel is optimistic that the expansion might put an end to the flooding in the area.
The World Bank-funded project shall cost Shillings 20.2 billion and Shillings 62.6 billion for Nakamiro and Lubigi drainage channel respectively. The projected completion dates are November 2021 for Lubigi Channel and July 2021 for Nakamiro Channel.
********
URN
