Mega Fm & Agency
Only 25 per cent of building developments inspected across Uganda meet the required construction standards, raising concerns about public safety and the effectiveness of building regulation amid persistent cases of building collapses and fires.
The National Building Review Board Executive Secretary, Eng. Flavia Gutto Bwire, disclosed this while appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) to respond to queries arising from the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ended June 30, 2025.
Bwire told the committee that the Board inspected 11,492 building developments across the country during the financial year, but only a quarter complied with the required standards, leaving 75 per cent non-compliant.
She attributed the low compliance levels to weak enforcement by local governments, inadequate staffing and funding, fragmented building approval processes and the failure of local authorities to fully constitute building committees responsible for supervising construction activities.
An assessment of 102 building committees established at district and urban local government levels found that only 12 per cent were fully constituted. Another 82 per cent were partially constituted, while six per cent had not been constituted at all.
Under the Building Control Act, building committees at district and urban authority levels are responsible for enforcing building standards, while the NBRB regulates the sector, monitors compliance and builds the capacity of the committees.
Bwire said the Board was established in 2020 at a time when building collapses were frequent, particularly during rainy seasons, resulting in loss of lives. Although the number of collapses and associated deaths has reduced, she said fire outbreaks had emerged as a major challenge.