Kampala bans trading in underground car parks after floods
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily Monitor
The Ugandan government has ordered traders in the basements of Kampala buildings to leave immediately, to end the conversion of parking spaces into shops. A sum of 18.9 billion shillings has been allocated to compensate traders in 13 galleries and markets affected by the floods, according to Daily Monitor.
The Ugandan government is ordering traders in basements of Kampala buildings to leave parking spaces immediately, Minister of ICT and National Guidance Justine Kasule Lumumba announced on Tuesday, according to Daily Monitor. The measure, decided at the Cabinet meeting of 9 November, applies to all buildings in the capital, not only those affected by the floods.
The minister says that turning parking spaces into shops worsens flooding during heavy rain. She also criticised poor management of building works by developers along the Nakivubo channel, haphazard waste disposal, and drainage openings that are too narrow to let underground water reach the channel. To compensate those affected, Cabinet approved 18.999 billion shillings in ex gratia aid for 1,841 registered traders who suffered from the floods of 30 and 31 October 2025. It also released 1 billion shillings for trader organisations, including 682.5 million shillings to cover the operating costs of the Uganda traders’ federation.
The government specifies that compensation applies only to traders in the thirteen specifically named galleries and markets, including Nana Arcade, Capital Centre, Pentagon Plaza and Owino market. Traders excluded from the list may file their claims with KCCA, Kampala’s city authority, and the Prime Minister’s office.
