Ben Kiwanuka Street Closed for Major Carriageway and Drainage Works

KCCA closes Ben Kiwanuka Street for major road, drainage and utility works as Kampala accelerates CBD infrastructure upgrades ahead of the rains.

News: KCCA has temporarily closed Ben Kiwanuka Street in central Kampala from August 18 to September 5 to accelerate heavy excavation, rockfill, drainage and carriageway works ahead of the seasonal rains. Traffic has been redirected through alternative CBD routes during the construction period.

Ben Kiwanuka Street Kampala, Source: Google Maps

Context: The works form part of broader road improvements in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area. Some recently reconstructed corridors are also, rightly and finally, incorporating underground utility ducts intended to accommodate water, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure without repeatedly excavating newly completed roads.

Stakeholder Implications: The immediate effect is disruption to businesses, pedestrians and traffic in one of Kampala’s busiest commercial districts. Longer term, however, coordinated road, drainage and utility construction could reduce one of the city’s persistent infrastructure problems: newly paved roads being cut open again to install or repair services.