Kampala’s enforcement authorities have demolished a multi-storey building belonging to businessman Haruna Ssentongo, the brother of prominent businessman Hamis Kiggundu, in a dramatic crackdown on alleged violations of the city’s building and physical planning regulations.
The demolition was carried out by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) on Thursday.
The building, reportedly known as Haruna Towers, had risen to about five floors when KCCA moved in and ordered its demolition.
According to KCCA officials, the development was being constructed in a road reserve and had allegedly failed to comply with the building plan approved by the authority’s Physical Planning Department.
KCCA Director of Physical Planning Vincent Byendaimira confirmed the demolition, saying the developer had not implemented the approved plan.
“The developer had not implemented the approved plan issued by the Physical Planning Department. The structure was encroaching on the road reserve,” Byendaimira said, according to BBEG Media.
The building was located along Nakasero Road, near the Nigerian High Commission and close to a Housing Finance Bank branch.
The demolition came amid a wider KCCA enforcement operation targeting buildings allegedly erected without approved plans or in areas reserved for roads and other public infrastructure.
During the Nakasero operation, police arrested several people found at the construction site and confiscated construction equipment, including a crane, concrete mixers and a generator.
The operation also reportedly attracted resistance after a group of men arrived at the site and attempted to interfere with the demolition. Police and KCCA officials contained the situation before the group left.
Ssentongo’s multi-billion project comes down
The demolition represents a major setback for Ssentongo, whose business interests include commercial and residential property development in Kampala.
BBEG Media reported that the approved project was designed as two twin towers of 16 storeys each, with the development estimated at about Shs202 billion. The report said the structure demolished on Thursday had reached approximately five floors.
Ssentongo is the brother of Hamis Kiggundu, a prominent Kampala businessman with extensive property and commercial interests.
Earlier reporting by Nile Post described Ssentongo as a major player in Kampala’s commercial and residential property sector, with developments including Haruna Towers and Haruna Shopping Mall.
The businessman reportedly declined to discuss the demolition when contacted by BBEG Media.
Another demolition in Kololo
KCCA’s enforcement team later moved to Baskerville Street in Kololo, where another building under construction was demolished over alleged planning violations.
According to Uganda Radio Network, the Kololo structure was reportedly linked to Chinese nationals, although its ownership had not been independently verified at the time of publication.
KCCA said the two developments were among structures being targeted for allegedly lacking approved building plans and other required authorisations.
KCCA spokesperson Daniel Nuwabine said the authority was still gathering information about the operation and would issue a formal statement after verification.
KCCA: Road reserves are off-limits
KCCA’s development-control guidelines explicitly prohibit construction on road reserves.
The authority says developers whose structures encroach on road reserves can be required to demolish the encroachment at their own cost, failing which KCCA can undertake the demolition and recover the costs.
Thursday’s operation therefore puts the spotlight on the enforcement of Kampala’s increasingly contested building regulations, particularly in affluent areas such as Nakasero and Kololo, where high-value developments continue to reshape the city skyline.
The demolition also raises questions about how a project reportedly intended to rise to 16 storeys was able to progress several floors before enforcement action was taken.
For Ssentongo, the destruction of part of the ambitious Haruna Towers project could translate into substantial financial losses, while for KCCA, the operation is a high-profile test of its resolve to enforce planning rules regardless of the developer involved.
