The
National Building Review Board (NBRB) is seeking powers to enable it to move
faster in the enforcement of the law.
Anthony
Rucukye the Manager of Investigations at the National Building Review
Board told journalists that the law should be amended to provide for express
penalties.
Rucukye
explained that the law is not easy to implement, as it stands because it provides
for a lengthy legal process that the defaulters have to go through when found
in contravention of the law
.
//Cue
in: " One new thing...
Cue out...in the regulation", //
The
Board is a government agency under the Ministry of Works and Transport
established to monitor building developments.
It
is supposed to ensure that the design and construction of buildings and utilities
to which the public has access cater to persons with disabilities.
The
Board also determines fees charged by urban and district-building Committees for
approval of plans and grant of occupation permits.
The
Building Control Act, 2013 was commenced in April 2018 leading to the
establishment of the National Building Code, 2019, and the Building Control
Regulations, 2020.
However,
with just a few years of the law, the National Building Reviews Board recently
described some of the mushrooming building structures in Kampala and other
urban places as a “death trap”
“Despite
this growth, the construction sector is littered with various challenges that
have turned some buildings into a death trap. It is now common to come across
buildings at the verge of collapsing, some with cracks on the walls, beams,”
said the Board in its latest newsletter on buildings.
According
to the Board, in September 2020, 24 people died and many more were injured
after building collapses and an excavation failure in Kampala and Jinja alone
. It
further noted that on 5th September 2021, a four-storied building collapsed in
Kisenyi Kampala and killed six people while another three died and that on 6th
May 2022 when a building collapsed in Ndejje, Makindye Ssabagabo municipality
in Wakiso District.
On 17th April 2023, one person died and four others were injured
after a building collapsed in Kansanga, Makindye Division.
Since January 2020, the Board has recorded and investigated 39 building accidents and 63 fire accidents. Most of the fires have been in commercial institutions with investigations attributing many of them to arson, negligence while others to electrical faults.
Those
accidents were attributed to several causes, ranging from poor workmanship and
construction technology to inadequate architectural and structural engineering designs.
The
engagement of inexperienced and unqualified contractors and the alteration of
the design during construction without adequate engineering studies were the
other factors.
The
failure to adequately monitor and inspect building construction, the disregard
of the prevailing laws, and the lack of professionals on the building team were
also cited.
With
some of those incidents, the National Building Control Board on Thursday held a
consultative workshop in Kampala. It brought together different stakeholders in
the building industry to review suggested amendments to the Building Control
Act 2013.
Those
in attendance included Building Control Officers Town clerks, District
Engineers, ministries Departments, and Agencies.
Herbert Zziwa the spokesperson of the board highlighted that among the
people invited to the consultative meeting are people concerned with the
building industry such as the Police, Building Control Officers Town clerks,
District Engineers, ministries Departments, and Agencies among others to review
the amendments.
Luganda
Byte
//Cue in: " Ezimu ku nongosereza...
Cue out...kizimbibwa mu butuufu", //
Anthony Rucukye explained that when one constructs without a permit the current
law provides for imprisonment for two years or paying a fine of 50 currency
points.
He explained that the law is not a deterrent especially for some
putting up a large structure because they can afford to forfeit a million
shillings or 50 currency points.
The National Building Review Board is proposing that twenty thousand shillings
or currency point fine should be imposed per square meter on those found in
default
//Cue in: " The other one...
Cue out...not deterrent enough". //
“If the landlords are compliant no one will interfere with their developments”.
He stated.
Kituuma Rusoke the police spokesperson mentioned that the amendments will
give police a clearer mandate in the aspects of enforcement. Police being the
principal body in matters of enforcement, it was important to be part of the
amendment consultations Rusoke mentioned.
He also appealed to the NBRB to bring the community on board so that they
are informed about the law to avoid resistance.
Timothy Mubbala the compliance manager of the board during the launch of the
National Building Control Awards in Kampala early this week mentioned that in
Uganda only 22 of the buildings are compliant.
Now, the board has embarked on a mass sensitization drive by conducting barazas
to educate the community.
Fred Kayongo Male
Freelancer