President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed government officials to assist traders and residents in downtown Kampala who lost property following last weekend’s devastating floods.
Speaking about the incident, the President said he instructed Hon. Kasule Lumumba, Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister, to convene a meeting of all concerned agencies to coordinate government response and relief.
> “For the people who lost their property in the floods in Kampala, I told Kasule Lumumba to chair a meeting of the people concerned because I was here. The Prime Minister was outside; she would have chaired. So we should assure them that we shall assist them. And if there is anyone who made a mistake, we should correct it. They shouldn’t panic,” President Museveni said.
Over the weekend, heavy rains flooded several parts of downtown Kampala — including shops, arcades, and trading centers — leaving many traders counting huge losses.
The President acknowledged that the flooding was part of a wider problem caused by intense rainfall across the region.
> “Of course, the problem was not only in Kampala. Even in the western mountains, in the Kerekon, people died there because of too much rain. I saw it in Kenya; it seemed the rain had been too much,” he added.
Many traders have blamed businessman Hamis Kiggundu for allegedly blocking drainage channels with his ongoing construction works. President Museveni, however, said government would investigate the claims before making any conclusions.
> “If it was because of Ham — because they are saying Ham blocked the channel — we shall get the facts and correct the mistake,” he said.
Museveni assured the affected traders that government would step in to help them recover and take steps to address the causes of the flooding.
