Kampala Floods: A Human-Made Crisis, Not a Natural Disaster, Expert Claims

Recent years have seen Kampala grappling with recurrent flooding that devastates property and tragically claims lives. This persistent issue has long baffled city dwellers, planners, and officials alike. However, Eng. David Ssali Luyimbazi, formerly the deputy executive director of KCCA, asserts that the root cause lies not in nature, but in human choices made over many years.

Luyimbazi explains that Kampala was originally built across natural flood management systems – hills and valleys interspersed with wetlands that acted as giant sponges. Over the last six decades, these vital natural defenses have been systematically filled in, built upon, and obstructed. When this natural capacity is replaced by concrete and structures, water has nowhere to go but to seek the lowest points, increasingly inundating homes, businesses, and infrastructure.

Furthermore, Kampala’s existing drainage systems were designed for a smaller city and a less intense climate. Modern rainfall patterns, characterized by heavier, more concentrated downpours, overwhelm these outdated systems. The problem is compounded by rampant blockages within drainage channels, filled not just with mud but with plastic bottles, polythene bags, and household waste, rendering them ineffective.

Luyimbazi stresses that solving this crisis requires a community-wide effort. He argues that individual actions, such as traders discarding waste into drains or communities obstructing drainage channels for convenience, have significant downstream consequences, leading to flooding miles away. The extensive investment in drainage infrastructure is rendered futile by such actions.

Compounding the issue are illegal developments on drainage lines and floodplains, coupled with a fragmented institutional responsibility. Various government bodies, including KCCA and the Ministry of Water and Environment, share oversight, leading to a lack of clear accountability when issues arise. This governance failure has tangible negative impacts on ordinary citizens.

Luyimbazi concludes that while government underinvestment in infrastructure is a valid criticism, public indiscipline—through illegal construction, wetland encroachment, and improper waste disposal—is equally, if not more, damaging. Unlike budget shortfalls, which can be rectified with increased funding, the damage caused by public disregard for environmental regulations is harder to undo.

Beyond the city, deforestation and wetland degradation nationally exacerbate flooding by altering rainfall runoff patterns and reducing the land’s natural water absorption capacity. Luyimbazi insists that addressing Kampala’s flood crisis requires a dual approach: increased government investment and a fundamental shift in public behavior and responsibility. Neither element alone is sufficient to resolve the escalating problem.