Stop stealing clients' materials, Prof Nawangwe tells builders
Professor Henry Alinatwe, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor who represented Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, addresses the site fixers (Fundis) during the workshop at Makerere University on Thursday. Photo | Busein Samilu
What you need to know:
- The local builders among others include; masons, plumbers, painters and metal fabricators
The Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, has cautioned local builders across the country to stop stealing building materials if they are to win their clients' trust.
"Some of you go an extra mile of doubling the required materials for example if 1000 bags of cement are needed, you ask for 2000 and later when the client realises the truth, they stop dealing with you and that's how you are losing it," he said.
The local builders among others include; masons, plumbers, painters and metal fabricators.
The Vice-Chancellor made these remarks, in a speech read by his Deputy Prof Henry Alinatwe, during the official opening of the two-day workshop for local builders at Makerere University's College of Engineering, Design Art and Technology (CEDAT) on Thursday.
Prof Nawangwe also cautioned the builders to desist from using substandard materials which have resulted in erecting weak buildings which fall even before construction is complete.
"Whether it is sand, cement or steel, there are standards and all standards can be tested in the labs. If you are building and you are in doubt about the standard, go to labs and test. Even when you are constructing at intervals, test materials you are using regularly to see their strength," he said.
This second edition of the Site Fixers (Fundis) Sensitisation and Training Workshop is being held to share accumulated knowledge between experts and site fixers (Fundis) and enhance the latter's skills in modern building design and construction technology.
Speaking at the event, Ms Venny Nakazibwe, the Deputy Principal of CEDAT said that they want to assess and understand the levels at which the local site fixers (Fundis) are operating in terms of skills, knowledge and innovation in building construction.
"We want to see how we can help them to get new knowledge to be able to perform better and also for us to be able to connect and understand the community better," she said.
