news 2 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
KCCA ordered to pay Shs125m to family of vendor who drowned in Nakivubo channel
The High Court in Kampala has found the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) liable for the drowning death of street vendor Olive Basemera, ordering them to pay Shs124.9 million to her family. Basemera drowned in the Nakivubo drainage channel in 2017 while reportedly fleeing KCCA enforcement officers. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/kcca-held-liable-for-fatal-nakivubo-channel-drowning-as-court-awards-vendor-s-family-shs125m-5617918
The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has been ordered by the High Court to pay Shs124.9 million in compensation to the family of Olive Basemera, a street vendor who tragically drowned in the Nakivubo drainage channel in August 2017. The court found KCCA liable for failing in its statutory duty to ensure the safety of public drainage systems.
Basemera died while allegedly attempting to evade arrest by city enforcement officers. Her family’s lawyers argued that the officers’ aggressive pursuit caused her to panic and fall into an unfenced section of the channel. KCCA, however, denied that its officers directly chased Basemera, stating their enforcement team was conducting a routine operation when vendors scattered.
While the court acknowledged the lack of direct eyewitness evidence proving a chase, it ultimately held KCCA responsible for the hazardous condition of the Nakivubo channel. Justice Boniface Wamala highlighted KCCA’s failure to install safety measures like guard rails or warning signs along the channel, which is prone to flooding, making it difficult to distinguish from roads during heavy rains.
The court did, however, find Basemera 30 percent contributorily negligent, as she was attempting to evade arrest while knowing she was vending without a license and by venturing into potentially dangerous waters. This reduced the total damages awarded.
Basemera’s estimated lost income, calculated based on her earnings over 23 working years, was reduced by the contributory negligence factor, leading to an award of Shs121.716 million for loss of dependency. Special damages for funeral expenses, amounting to Shs2.2 million, were also awarded, with a deduction for a preliminary contribution already made by KCCA. The court also mandated KCCA to cover 70 percent of the legal costs.