When Uganda holds its flag high on October 9, 2025, to mark 63 years of independence, the capital city Kampala will not just be the stage of celebration, but a showcase of delivering progress from the first leadership of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
The story of Kampala today is one of modern infrastructure being built, communities empowered, green spaces restored, and essential services brought closer to the people, all guided and managed by KCCA.
Stroll through Old Mubende Road, Luwafu road or Wamala Road today, and you’ll see the difference. Once riddled with potholes and clogged with storm water, these roads now gleam with smooth tarmac, pedestrian walkways, and solar-powered streetlights that make the city safer long after the sun sets.
Through the Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation Project (KCRRP), more than 70 kilometers of road networks are under reconstruction, turning once-dusty, potholed stretches into modern corridors of trade and mobility.
Soon, the Kayemba Bridge on Queens Way and the Nakawa Railway Crossing will fully be completed, creating new gateways of connectivity in a city that never sleeps.
The transformation is not confined to a few neighborhoods. Across all five divisions, the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Program (GKMA-UDD) is breathing new life into nearly 20 kilometers of roads in its first phase, from Rashid Khamis to Ben Kiwanuka Street. This is only a piece of a bigger puzzle, a at-kilometer journey that will redefine how Kampala moves, works, and lives.
Even beyond major projects, KCCAs include road crews are working steadily, upgrading community roads like Naguru Drive and Mawanda Road, proof that change is reaching every corner.
And then there’s traffic the city’s age-old nemesis. Kampala is slowly but surely rewriting that story. The new Traffic Control Centre at City Hall stands ready to take charge of real-time traffic management and coordination.
Already, 27 junctions have been signalized, and five of the city’s roundabouts have been replaced with modern lights, reducing congestion and accidents. The difference is visible in the smoother flow at places like Kabira and Mulago, where commuters are beginning to believe that order is possible on Kampala’s roads.
Floods, another stubborn challenge, are also being tamed. Channels like Lubigi and Kansanga have been dredged and maintained, while neighborhoods from Kikubamutwe to Wakaliga are experiencing relief thanks to new community drainage works. For residents who used to dread the afternoon downpour, the reduction in flash floods is nothing short of life-changing.
More than 70 kilometers of road networks are under reconstruction, turning once-dusty, potholed stretches into modern corridors of trade and mobility.
In waste management: once Kampala’s Achilles’ heel was the idea of relying on the overstretched Kiteezi landfill, the city is now planning a new 230-hectare Integrated Waste Management and Resource Recovery Facility at Buyala. This facility will recycle, capture gas, and treat leachate, turning waste from a problem into a resource. In the meantime, KCCA teams, supported by UN-Habitat with funding from Japan, are flattening sections of dangerous heaps at Kiteezi and organizing weekend community clean-ups, proving that a cleaner city is a collective responsibility.
Sanitation, too, is changing the daily lives of residents. In just one year, 59 new public toilets were built in schools, markets, and busy public areas. Fourteen existing facilities were renovated, including those in some of Kampala’s busiest trading centers. For thousands, this is more than convenience, it is dignity, health, and safety.
Perhaps the most significant shift, though, is one that brings government closer to the people. In August, 2025 KCCA officially operationalized devolution, handing key functions—finance, education, social services, and community development—directly to division councils.
With this move, decisions about schools, markets, and local services are now made closer to residents, ensuring accountability and responsiveness. This structure is already reinforcing the Parish Development Model (PDM), which has seen billions disbursed to parishes, enabling families to start small businesses in tailoring, catering, and backyard farming. The capital is proving that prosperity at the grassroots is possible when communities are empowered.
Amid the asphalt and concrete, Kampala is also reclaiming its green soul. The city has planted more than 8,500 trees across schools and public spaces under the Urban Forest Management Plan. Iconic spaces like Constitutional Square and Yusuf Lule Road have been restored, while enforcement against misuse of parks ensures that green belongs to all. With partners such as MTN joining tree-planting drives, Kampala is showing that growth and sustainability can go hand in hand.
The message is clear:
independence is not just about looking back at history, but about building a future where services are delivered with quality, communities are empowered, and progress is sustained. Kampala is on the rise, and in its rise lies the promise of a stronger, united, and progressive Uganda.
