Justice Musa Ssekaana ,of the Civil Division of the High Court has ordered Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to compensate Rebecca Mayanja Nalule with Shs 35 million for injuries she sustained after she fell an open manhole along Jinja Road in 2018.
Justice Ssekaana in his ruling also gave the plaintiff 15% annual interest on the compensation amount until it is fully settled by KCCA plus paying all the legal costs.
The court found KCCA guilty of negligence in maintaining public infrastructure, which led to the incident near the Rugby Grounds, opposite Shoprite. Thie ruling follows several acts of alleged negligence by KCCA in regard to open manholes spread in and around the city .
Nalule filed a lawsuit in 2020, claiming that KCCA had failed to cover the manhole or warn pedestrians about the hazard, despite the authority’s responsibility to ensure public safety.
Nalule’s lawyer, Nicholas Ssenkumbi, argued before court that KCCA breached its obligations under the Kampala Capital City Act, which mandates the authority to maintain roads, drainage systems, and public lighting. He argued that KCCA’s negligence directly endangered pedestrians, resulting in life-changing injuries for Nalule.
KCCA had denied the presence of an uncovered manhole at the time of the incident, insisting that all manholes in the area were properly secured. The authority also contended that Nalule did not report the accident immediately and lacked credible evidence to support her claims.
Justice Ssekaana stated, “KCCA had an obligation to ensure the safety of its infrastructure. Their failure to cover the manhole or provide adequate warnings to the public constitutes negligence.”
While the judgment acknowledged inconsistencies in Nalule’s medical evidence—particularly that she initially sought treatment at a pharmacy instead of a hospital—the court concluded that the evidence was sufficient to establish that her injuries were caused by the fall.
