news 29 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Kampala Faces Rising Insecurity as Poor Funding Leaves Streets in Darkness
KCCA requires Shs4 billion annually to maintain optimal street lighting, but current funding shortages have left key areas of Kampala in the dark and emboldened criminals. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/darkness-in-city-poor-funding-foiling-kampala-street-lighting-5649926
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is grappling with a severe financial shortfall that has severely compromised street lighting across the city’s five divisions, leaving pedestrians increasingly vulnerable to crime under the cover of darkness.
According to reports presented to the parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase), chaired by Kyadondo East MP Muwada Nkunyingi, KCCA requires a minimum of Shs4 billion every year to keep all street lights operating at 100 percent functionality.
Out of the total 7,405 street lights currently installed across the capital, only 5,858 are operational, representing a 79 percent functionality rate. The remaining non-functional lights have plunged significant stretches of the city into total darkness.
Security experts note that the prevailing darkness significantly impairs visibility, reducing the ability of citizens to assess surroundings for threats while providing an ideal cover for wrongdoers to attack, rob, and beat up unsuspecting pedestrians without immediate consequence.
Lawmakers are continuing to review institutional funding gaps to find sustainable solutions for Kampala’s deteriorating public infrastructure and mounting urban safety challenges.
Read more details in the original report on Daily Monitor.