Much as a number of city dwellers were tired of the scotching hot sun and have been dying to see a drop of rain, several people were this morning left disorganized,cursing and stranded especially along Lugogo Bypass, Jinja road and clock tower along Queens that were cut off by floods as a heavy down pour that started at around 6:00am hit the city.
Some vehicles and boda bodas were seen stuck in the floods with no help while other motorcyclists had to push their motorcycles all the way to the clear side.
Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson, said they are experiencing traffic problems at Clock Tower and Banda, due to heavy rain.
He said the two areas have no major alternative routes.
Earlier, Kampala Metropolitan Police Traffic commander, Norman Musinga advised motorists who use Jinja Road, to use other roads.
“Those of you coming from Jinja Road, the road is affected temporarily. Water has cut the whole of Lugogo Bypass. Small cars can’t access.
”We advise the people with small cars to pass other roads connecting to the city centre,” Mr Musinga’s message he posted on Whatsapp, a social media platform, reads.
The traffic jam goes all the way to Banda and beyond. Motorists created various lanes on different parts of the road in a bid to get ahead but instead made the jam worse, according to Mr John Opio, a motorist who was stuck in traffic on Jinja Road for close to an hour.
These are not the only areas that have for some years been affected by the floods whenever it rains. Other most affected areas are Kyambogo along the Kampala-Jinja highway, Namasuba and Nalukolongo on the Kampala-Masaka road.
City dwellers have cried out to the Kampala Capital City Authority to their rescue and improve the water drainage system. They say they have lost business whereas motorists and pedestrians say their lives are at risk whenever it rains heavily;
When contacted, Kampala Capital City Authority spokesperson, Peter Kauju noted that plans are underway to end flooding in the city. The second phase of the second Kampala institutional and infrastructure development project will see a number of drainage channels constructed. These include Rubigi, Nakivubo, Kinawataka, and Nalukolongo channels.
The drainage master plan is expected to cost about 208 million US dollars or approximately 770 billion shillings, although the there is no money yet to compensate the people living near the drainage channels. He however says they will continue de-silting the drainage channels to reduce blockage, mainly caused by constant dumping of garbage into these drainage channels.
Meanwhile, in the hullabaloo, a taxi and Noah rammed into a speeding truck at Lugogo along Jinja road, injuring three people. According to police, the truck driver who was driving from Kampala lost control and went over the pavements separating the lanes into the road going to Kampala .Police said the three people were rushed to a yet to be identified hospital.
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