Kampala City Sinks Struggling With Its Own Growth & Deadly Floods

KAMPALA: When the heavens open over Kampala, the city holds its breath. The sky weeps in torrents, and the streets are swallowed whole.

Water turns to rivers, rivers to oceans, and roads become lakes. Cars stall, pedestrians wade through knee-high waters, and traders watch helplessly as lifetimes of labor are carried away. But this is not just nature’s fury; it results from poor urban planning, unchecked greed, and a system that continues to jeopardize the most vulnerable.

Once a lush haven of wetlands, Kampala’s landscape was designed to absorb rain and regulate floods. These wetlands played a critical role in balancing the city’s water cycle, but rapid urbanization has suffocated them under a blanket of concrete.

According to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Uganda has lost nearly 50% of its wetlands in the past two decades, with Kampala’s expansion fueling much of this destruction. Where there were once marshes and floodplains, shopping malls and high-rise estates now stand. The result is catastrophic flooding every time heavy rains fall, and the poorest citizens suffer the most.

This is not just an environmental disaster; it is a social one. Slum dwellers, forced to build homes on whatever land they can afford, suffer the worst of the floods. During the May 2020 floods, the Uganda Red Cross Society estimated that 1,000 families in Kampala were displaced. Small traders watch helplessly as their goods are washed away, with no compensation or alternative means of survival. Meanwhile, those in power remain unaffected, safely tucked away in gated communities, shielded from the devastation caused by the policies and decisions they oversee.

Nine lives were lost—not just to the floodwaters, but to a failing system that should have protected them. Their deaths are more than mere statistics; they are stark reminders of a governance that prioritizes short-term gains over sustainable solutions. Evictions and demolitions are often used as a quick fix. Bulldozers arrive at dawn to tear down the shacks of the poor, labeled as “illegal encroachments.” Yet, luxury estates and commercial buildings erected on protected wetlands remain standing, their developers shielded by political connections. The displaced are left with nothing, abandoned by a system that values land speculation over human lives.

We have not learned from the hundreds of families displaced, from the lives lost, from the unfulfilled promises that we would rebuild “never again.” The cycle repeats, because those who hold the power see only profits, not people. They forget that leadership is stewardship and that development without sustainability is a lie. But the floods do not forget. They will return. They will remind us, time and again, of our failures, of our disregard for the future, of our failure to see the city not just for today, but for tomorrow. Until we change course, until we put people before profits, until we build for the future, not just for the present, Kampala will continue to drown. Not just in water, but in its shame.

This vibrant, struggling city is a reflection of our choices. With each storm, the cracks in the foundation grow deeper. According to the Uganda National Meteorological Authority, heavy rainfall events have increased by 25% in the last decade, and with it, the floods grow more deadly and more frequent. We cannot afford to wait. We cannot afford to pretend that this is just another storm.

This is a deep shame as Kampala is expanding with new roads and infrastructure, yet every storm washes away the very roads meant to provide a connection. The question arises: do we conduct proper site inspections? Do we consider the true conditions on the ground, or do we sign off on projects based on flawed designs and estimates? And when officials embark on “benchmarking trips” abroad, do they return with real knowledge and expertise, or simply with shopping bags and empty promises?

In Kalerwe, one of the hardest-hit flood zones, women’s cooperatives have developed low-cost solutions to mitigate flood damage. They have used sandbags, drainage trenches, and water retention ponds to protect their neighborhoods. Their efforts mirror international models like Bangladesh’s floating gardens, which allow communities to continue farming despite rising waters. Kampala now stands at a crossroads, a city that can either continue prioritizing short-term profits and unchecked development, or it can embrace a future built on sustainability, equity, and accountability. Wetland protection laws must be enforced, with all encroacher,s regardless of their economic status, held accountable. Land use regulations must be implemented without favoritism. Investment in climate-resilient infrastructure is no longer optional. Roads and drainage systems must be designed with extreme weather in mind. Countries such as the Netherlands, which have successfully built flood-resistant cities, provide models that Kampala can learn from.

Instead of evicting informal settlers without offering alternatives, the government should collaborate with grassroots organizations to develop affordable, flood-resistant housing. Nairobi’s Kibera Public Space Project, which integrates green spaces and proper drainage, is an example of how this can work. A stronger disaster preparedness system is also crucial. The Uganda National Meteorological Authority must expand its outreach to ensure that even those in informal settlements receive timely weather alerts and evacuation plans.

Urban green spaces should be prioritized, not sacrificed. Policies that mandate green areas in new developments must be strictly enforced. Kigali’s Green City Project, which integrates sustainable housing with green infrastructure, offers inspiration for how Kampala can transform itself. Public participation in urban planning must also be strengthened. Development decisions should not be made behind closed doors. Cities like Curitiba in Brazil have successfully implemented participatory urban planning models, proving that inclusive governance leads to more sustainable outcomes.

Nature does not favor the rich, and rains do not stop at the gates of the wealthy. The floods wash over all, exposing the cracks in the city’s foundations and the failures of a system that prioritizes short-term gain over long-term survival. Nine lives were lost in a single downpour, victims not just of floods, but of a governance system that failed to protect them. These deaths are not just numbers in a report; they are tragic reminders that unregulated urban expansion comes at a human cost.

In the past decade alone, Uganda has seen more than 300 flood-related fatalities. The toll will continue to rise unless Kampala rethinks its approach to development. The floods will return, stronger and deadlier. They will remind the city, time and again, of its failures. Until Kampala chooses sustainability over profit, until it values people over unchecked development, it will continue to drown not just in water, but in its shame. The time to act is now. The time to rebuild, to reimagine, to listen, and to learn is here. Let us not wait for the next storm to remind us of what we already know.