Government has directed all tenants operating businesses in the basements of various city arcades to vacate immediately following investigations into the floods that affected traders in Kampala in November last year.
The directive was issued by Cabinet during its sitting yesterday, after reviewing findings into the causes of the flooding that damaged several traders’ businesses.
Addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre, the Minister of Information, Communication, Technology and National Guidance, Justine Kasule Lumumba, warned that traders who fail to comply with the directive should not expect government assistance in the event of similar disasters.
Lumumba explained that architectural plans approved by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) allow building owners to construct basements strictly for parking purposes rather than commercial spaces for rent.
She further revealed that Cabinet had directed the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Works and Transport, KCCA and the Ministry of Water and Environment to develop a comprehensive work plan to address the flooding challenge and present it to Cabinet within one month.
Among the findings identified as contributing to the flooding were interference with stormwater drainage systems by some property developers along Ssebaana and Allen roads, as well as the blockage of drainage outlets leading into the Nakivubo Channel by silt, among other factors.
The Minister also disclosed that government had approved 18 billion shillings in compensation for 1,841 traders who were affected by the floods last year.
The measures are intended to address some of the identified causes of flooding while strengthening efforts to protect businesses and traders from similar losses in the future.
By Olivia Nabaggala
10th Nov 2026
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