The Democratic Party (DP) has officially unveiled Beatrice Nambi Mao, wife of party president and Justice Minister Norbert Mao, as its flag bearer for the Kampala Lord Mayoral race in the 2026 general elections.
Her endorsement followed the withdrawal of her main rival, John Bosco Kamoga, who stepped aside to promote party unity.
Nambi vowed to unseat incumbent Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who has held the position since 2011. She also reflected on her disqualified 2021 attempt, saying the Electoral Commission had since resolved the issue that had kept her off the ballot.
“In 2020/21, they threw me out of the race on grounds that I was not on the voters’ register,” she said. “But after the elections, I went straight to the Electoral Commission and we resolved the matter. Now I am back, and I am confident that the Kampala Lord Mayor seat will be mine.”
Taking a swipe at Lukwago’s leadership, Nambi accused him of presiding over years of stagnation in the capital.
“For the last 15 years, he has done us no good,” she argued. “He is not vocal enough, he has failed to attract foreign investors, and the city is in a state of decay. Kampala needs to be transformed into a place that everyone is proud of.”
In a bid to tackle Kampala’s infamous flooding nightmare, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Council has resolved that the Authority should empower able investors to develop, cover, and upgrade Drainage Infrastructure as a long-term fix for City Floods.
The resolution which was passed in a fiery council session on April 3, 2025, came with a sharp rejection of the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago’s recent accusations against businessman Dr. Hajji Hamis Kiggundu aka Ham and former Acting Executive Director Frank Nyakana Rusa that they (Ham Constructions) are causing rampant floods in Kampala downtown.
Councilors dismissed Lukwago’s claims as politically charged and legally unsound, choosing instead to recognize Rusa with an official commendation for his exemplary leadership. The Council emphasized that partnering with the private sector under close KCCA supervision is the only viable path to ending the city’s chronic flood disasters.
Frank Nyakana Rusa
Lukwago, who has long positioned himself as a fierce critic of city developers, had accused Dr. Kiggundu of illegally reconstructing the Jugula drainage channel near Nakivubo, alleging it caused the devastating floods that crippled Kampala on Wednesday last week.
He further implicated Frank Nyakana Rusa, demanding his interdiction from the office of Director of Legal Affairs, claiming he backed the project while serving as Acting Executive Director between September and December 2024.
The council, however, was in no mood for theatrics. Members tabled official records showing that Ham Enterprises (U) Ltd., the company owned by Dr. Kiggundu, had submitted all construction plans to KCCA by law. The plans were reviewed and approved on December 9, 2024.
It was revealed that the charges Lukwago cited had not only been dismissed by the KCCA magistrate court on January 14, 2025, but had been wrongly filed against Dr. Kiggundu personally, rather than his company—violating the legal principle of limited liability.
Councillors described the charges as malicious, biased, and legally irregular. They criticised Lukwago for consistently promoting personal vendettas instead of offering leadership grounded in facts and development priorities.
His conduct was labelled unprofessional, with members pointing out that the actual cause of floods across the city stemmed from years of neglect, poor solid waste disposal in open drainages, and the lack of modern infrastructure—not the efforts of developers like Ham Enterprises, who are working to fix these problems.
Ironically, while most parts of Kampala flooded in that fateful Wednesday including Clock Tower, Kawempe, Natete, Kamwokya, Kinawataka, Forest Mall Nakawa, Zana, Kyambogo and parts of the Northern Bypass—the areas around Nakivubo remained dry. This, the council agreed, was evidence of the success of the Jugula channel works led by Ham Enterprises under Rusa’s oversight during his tenure as acting ED.
In a dramatic turn of events, the council shifted the spotlight to Rusa, commending his exemplary service and presenting him with a Certificate of Appreciation. The award, inscribed with the words “We appreciate your noble service for the Capital City (Kampala) as Acting E.D.,” was handed over amid applause, with photos of Rusa holding the framed certificate against the backdrop of the Ugandan and KCCA flags quickly circulating online.
The session marked a turning point in KCCA’s approach to flood management, and members resolved that the authority should partner with credible local investors to develop and upgrade the city’s drainage systems, especially as funding from the central government remains insufficient and foreign aid continues to decline.
Drawing comparisons with modern cities that have invested in underground drainage, the council emphasised the need to shift away from Kampala’s outdated open channels, which are prone to blockage by solid waste.
Members warned against politicising development efforts and called for unity in advancing Kampala’s progress. They stressed that KCCA’s mandate is to serve all Ugandans holistically, not to be driven by personal emotions or political rivalries. The council also issued a passionate call to government entities to support, rather than frustrate, local investors who can solve real urban challenges.
The events of April 3 left no doubt about where the council stands. While Lukwago walked in seeking to indict others, he walked out politically bruised, his credibility shaken by a united council determined to focus on solutions rather than blame.
As Kampala looks to the future, the city may finally be turning a corner—one paved not with finger-pointing, but with partnership, progress, and homegrown leadership.
Kabula County in Lyantonde District MP hopeful Hon. Mwesigye Frank has asked Kampala Road Mayor Erias Lukwago to first account for the UGX 3bn he allegedly collected from city abattoirs between October 2011 to December 2012 before complaining about UGX 2bn Kampala Roads maintenance.
Hon. Frank wonders why would a Mayor questioned set up to maintain roads in his own city.
Hon. Mwesigye Frank has accused Lord Mayor Lukwago of bias against his own city
He raised this through his Twitter account questioning Lord Mayor’s motive.
“The Lord Mayor, Lukwago, has raised complaints about the allocation of Shs2 billion designated for road maintenance in his own city. For this reason, We should also come together & ask Mr Lukwago for accountability of Shs 3.8b he illegally collected from the city abattoir from October 2011 to December 2012 before RCC (by then) Mr Mpimbaza Hashaka intervened. As concerned citizens, we should plan for a peaceful march to Lukwago’s office and demand transparency & accountability of Shs 3.8b ASAP. Stay tuned for further updates,” Hon. Mwesigye Frank tweeted.
Kampala Mayor elect Erias Lukwago has clarified on the issue of when the Lord Mayor’s office will be officially opened. Lukwago released an official statement on the matter as below;
Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago
“There’s some distorted and malicious information doing rounds in some sections of the media that the office of the Lord Mayor will remain inaccessible until we’re done with the swearing in ceremony slated for 20th May. The truth of the matter is that the office was officially opened yesterday by KCCA officials who, among others, included the Ag. Director Human Resource, Mr. Lule Richard and a team of staff attached to my office headed by Madam Sarah Kanyike and Deo Mbabazi. The team resolved to conduct a verification exercise next week and compile an inventory of all the items therein before embarking on the necessary renovations and replacement of the rotten furniture. I hope the exercise will go on smoothly without any unnecessary acrimony. Pretty soon, I will be rolling out all the relevant arrangements for the resumption of my statutory duties. There are lots of laudable programmes up our sleeves for the transformation of Kampala into a modern, functional city befitting the pearl of Africa. All we need is to reactivate the governance structure and realign the same in accordance with the Will of the people and, of course, the Rule of law. I will expound more on these issues tonight on CBS radio 88.8 fm at 8.00pm. For God and My Country”
