The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The use of unqualified engineers to construct and supervise construction works is the main cause for the collapse of buildings in Uganda, the National Buildings Review Board-NBRB has revealed.
Engineer Nicholas Omoding, the head of investigations at the National Buildings Review Board-NBRB, says that their investigations into collapsing buildings show that a number of developers do not hire qualified architects or engineers.
He says developers hire masqueraders to draw building plans and construct storied buildings. Omoding cites their investigations into one of the buildings that collapsed in Makindye last year, killing more than nine, saying the lead Engineer Christopher Ruhambya had a certificate in bricklaying.
The building belonged to Abraham Kalanzi who was arrested and prosecuted alongside Ruhambya. Eng. Omoding says that some developers engage professional architects and engineers at the stages of drawing of their plans and approval by the City authority and abandon them for non-professional people.
In April 2021, the gatehouse canopy at Speke Hotel collapsed injuring at least five people. Investigations by the NBRB revealed that the developer engaged an inexperienced and unqualified contractor who adjusted the structural design leading to the collapse of the canopy.
The report shows that the roof of the gatehouse was designed to be roofed with galvanized iron sheets but the developer without planning, redesigning and approval, changed and used a concrete slab. The contractor, M/s Nita Builders Uganda Limited further used inadequate concrete beams on the canopy slab.
“The design check established that even if the structure had not failed during the concrete casting, it would still later fail as a result of the inadequately designed beams and footings,” reads the report in part.
Eng Nicholas Omoding also blames the collapse of buildings on the use of substandard building materials, which are mostly produced locally. He specifically pointed to steel materials, which he says are not strong enough to support construction.
Moses Tiberonda, a board member at Uganda National Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors, says that developers hire non-qualified people in order to minimise costs but end up making losses when the buildings collapse.
He says that some construction materials are substandard, but added that qualified personnel can easily notice them and address the gap without putting the building at risk.
Tiberonda wants the government to tighten its inspection of buildings under construction to ensure developers follow the right procedures.
The spokesperson of Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA, Daniel NuweAbine says that the authority ensures that the developers fulfil all building requirements before getting a construction permit issued by the directorate of physical planning.
The developer is required to present a building plan and details of a certified architect with a valid practising certificate. NuweAbine says that after issuing a construction permit, KCCA only inspects the structure while at crucial stages for instance when laying the foundation and when adding a slab.
NuweAbine says the authority is carrying out investigations to identify gaps in compliance with building requirements and resolve them.
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