Who is to blame for collapsing buildings?

At least three high-rise buildings have collapsed in the city since October last year. They include those in Bakuli, Kansanga and Makerere-Kagugube zone.

The collapsing of buildings not only puts the city authorities on the spot but also points to the futility of implementation of construction laws. Apparently, the city is grappling with emerging buildings without unapproved construction plans.

According to information from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), some developers alter approved plans without the consent of authorities while those without approved plans construct at night to evade detection and arrest.

KCCA says for anyone to alter the already approved building plan, they must seek approval from the authorities.
In May 2018, KCCA Director of Physical Planning Moses Atwine told a council meeting at City Hall that the owner of the building, which collapsed in Buziga, Makindye Division, had altered the original approved plan.

Mr Atwine revealed that though KCCA had only approved a plan for only two floors, the developer added two extra floors without approval.

Procedure
Before one embarks on any development in the city, they are supposed to meet certain requirements to have their plans approved.
These are; a copy of land title, search statement of the land title, payment receipts, survey report from registered surveyor to ascertain open boundaries, verify location and check encroachment; two copies of architectural drawings and signed by a registered and practising architect.

Others are; two copies of structural application certificates signed by a structural engineer, signed structural calculations, a geotechnical report, an excavation plan, a traffic impact mitigation plan, Environmental Impact Assessment Plan and Storm Water Management Plan.

According to KCCA’s website, approval of any development plan takes at least two weeks but it may stretch to one month due to the already existing backlog.

However, in the event that there is delayed approval, the developer can write to the physical planning director to have approval of their plan expedited.

The chairperson of the Engineers Registration Board (ERB), Mr Michael Odong, says most buildings collapse because of poor workmanship. Mr Odong adds that most people masquerade as engineers yet they do not follow established principles of contract management.

He says according to their investigations, engineers who worked on the collapsed buildings are not members of ERB hence the professional body cannot take any action against them.

“We have already put on notice the urban authorities that approval of plans must be vigorously done after thorough scrutiny of plans and proper identity of engineers and architects who are going to promote the building. For instance, the building, which collapsed in Jinja was being constructed by engineers who are not registered. This is why we have put urban authorities on notice,” Mr Odong says. He reveals that if a registered engineer works on any building and it collapses, ERB automatically takes punitive measures against them. This includes de-registering them from ERB and prosecuting them in courts of law.

Mr Odong advises developer to ensure that they are using architects and engineers from professional bodies and also use a proper contractor with the right personnel and equipment.

“The site engineer must have a proper programme of work and proper signage of work and must have proper safety procedures. They must ensure that the construction programme is technically robust. If concrete is supposed to take 28 days to cure or dry, that engineer must know that no more load should be added before the 28 days expire,” he says.

But Mr Odong reveals that most people who claim to be engineers do not want to register with ERB because they do not meet the grade since they were trained as site foremen.

He says that an engineer must have a university degree and must have got advanced training for four years under the supervision of a senior engineer who then recommends them to ERB so that they can be registered and licensed.

Mr Chirstopher Ssekimpi, a civil engineer, attributes the collapse of buildings to less supervision by the site engineer. As such, Mr Ssekimpi says, construction workers may end up using substandard raw materials.

“For instance for high-rise buildings, you are supposed to use different sizes of iron bars depending on the foundation and the number of floors. If the site engineer fails to supervise and ascertain whether workers have used the recommended raw materials, workers may end up compromising on the standards,” he says.

But some developers of buildings, who decline to be named, decry the bureaucratic glitches in the approval of plans, which they say frustrates them hence some end up erecting unapproved plans.

“Getting your construction plan approved at KCCA can be so tedious. First of all, they have less manpower yet they have a very big backlog of unapproved plans. This affects people who have borrowed money from the banks and have pressure to construct buildings on time,” a real estate businessman says.

Mr Atwine could not be reached yesterday. But the KCCA spokesperson, Mr Peter Kaujju, told this newspaper last evening that KCCA is investigating the collapse of buildings in the city although he declined to give details or when the report would be out.

KCCA speaks out
He admitted some developers alter plans while others construct without approved plans contrary to the law.
“We have previously prosecuted engineers and owners of collapsed buildings who violated construction procedures. For instance, we took on the owner of the collapsed building on Makerere Hill Road and the one in Makindye. We will continue to work with police to crack a whip against those who violate the law,” he said.

Daily Monitor has also established that the KCCA directorate of physical planning is constrained by budgetary deficits, which makes it hard for staff to effectively carry out operations against illegal developments.

According to the 2019/20 budget, tphysical planning received a paltry Shs3b of the overall budget of Shs371b. The low budget is further worsened by shortage of staff.

Every division has only one building inspector who is required to inspect ongoing development projects. But officials in the physical planning directorate argue that one person cannot effectively monitor all developments in the division.

Mr Kaujju acknowledged the staff and resource constraints but said the institution is working with the central government to plug these gaps.

Ms Amanda Ngabirano, a regional and planning expert, attributes the collapse of city buildings on inability to pay attention to detail.
She says government should set up a committee to investigate why the collapse of buildings is becoming chronic.

Recent collapsed buildings
January 24, 2020. A building collapsed in Kagugube Zone in Kampala Central Division. No deaths or fatalities were registered.
January 9, 2020. Six people died on spot after a building collapsed in Kansanga, Makindye Division.
January 15, 2020. Three people died and several others injured after a two-floor storied building located on Plot 17 Gokhale Road caved in.
October 11, 2019. One person died and several others injured after a building collapsed in Bakuli, Rubaga division.
January 26, 2016. Two people died and five others sustained injuries when a building under construction on Luwum Street in the city centre collapsed.
April 2016. A building collapsed along Makerere Hill Road, leaving at least four people dead and scores injured.

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