Prime
Enforce buildings safety regulations
Police rescue team search for missing persons after a ceiling collapsed on the congregants during a church service in Kampala City on March 15, 2021. PHOTO | MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
What you need to know:
- The issue: Risky buildings
- Our view: Given the fast pace of growth and expansion of cities and towns in the country, funding for urban planning should be given priority. Lack of funding and personnel to enforce regulations has been cited as a hindrance to enforcing building safety.
After the collapse of a building housing a church in Kampala, which killed one and injuring more than a dozen, the building standards and safety of our structures is once again under scrutiny.
The building in question was not a new one, which probably calls for tighter inspection and safety audit of the structures not only in Kampala’s central business district, but in major towns and urban centres across the country.
It is not enough to licence certain activities in particular zones. Rather, it should be the duty of urban authorities to put in place requisite measures and enforce safety rules and regulations to ensure that citizens can conduct their daily business or gather for public meetings without fear of a building collapsing or any related accidents.
Working in coordination with the relevant stakeholders, including the architects and engineers’ professional bodies, building owners and managers should be tasked to adhere to building control regulations as held under the Ministry of Works and Transport with the support from relevant urban authorities.
Poor water and waste management in Kampala and other towns also pose a great danger to life hence they should urgently be addressed. It is common to see some city buildings, roads and bridges, among others, that are flood after a downpour. This is a pointer to possible gaps in storm water disposal that the city authority needs to fix.
Fire management is another area that should not be left to chance by the relevant authorities. Other areas to look out for include lighting and ventilation, garbage disposal, construction site activities, evacuation and escape plans in case of emergency, electrical installation and wiring as well as plumbing works in buildings.
Most importantly, the inspection and certification of buildings should be a continuos process right from the start of construction a building until the completion.
Therefore, as cities grow and change, with new buildings coming up and some of the old ones being adapted to new uses, the authorities should keep a keen eye on the construction or remodelling activities. There is also need for continuous safety enhancement for old buildings to match modern standards.
Given the fast pace of growth and expansion of cities and towns in the country, funding for urban planning should be given priority. Lack of funding and personnel to enforce regulations has been cited by no less than the physical planning department of Kampala Capital City Authority as a hindrance to enforcing building safety measures in the past. As we strive to ensure better health for all, prevention of deaths, injury, one of the causes of poor health may be one place to start.
