Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has moved to interdict two of its officers over negligence that has resulted into the latest wave of collapsing buildings, the latest happening in Kansanga over the weekend and leaving over 10 people dead.
“We are going to interdict the two officers in charge of monitoring construction in Makindye Division, then carry out investigations to determine what happened and what could have been done better,” said KCCA Acting Executive Director, Eng. Andrew Kitaka (pictured).
He made the revelation today while appearing with the Minister for Kampala, Betty Amongi before the Parliamentary Budget Committee to request for a supplementary budget of Shs10bn to repair roads within the city that were affected by floods.
This was after MPs tasked the Authority to explain remedies that have been put in place to curtail collapse of buildings within the city, to which Kitaka revealed that the Authority has sanctioned two of its officers mandated with monitoring construction works in Makindye division.
Kitaka admitted before Parliament that the owner of the building that collapsed in Kansanga had been ordered to stop construction, but the Authority was shocked to learn he had resumed the construction works and investigations into the matter has kicked off, but KCCA decided to interdict the two officers in charge of construction until they conclude the matter.
Kitaaka also told Parliament that the owner of the building has been ordered to compensate the victims, both the deceased and those nursing injuries.
On Tuesday, Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga directed the Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Beti Kamya to investigate the cause of the increasing collapse of buildings under construction that have claimed lives of Ugandans and left others with life threatening injuries.
The Speaker’s directive followed a concern raised by Margaret Rwobushaija (Workers MP) who raised a concern over the collapsing building in the country that have claimed lives of many people, which leaving others with life threatening injuries, with calls to Parliament to Investigate these deaths.
The Parliamentary directive followed collapse of a building in Kansanga that killed 12 people and left 4 injured.
It should be recalled, at former Ssese way beach in Entebbe, a building collapsed and 20 people were injured, then a building at Bokale road in Jinja also killed 3 people on 15th January 2020, and on 8th January 2020 another building on Mitala road in Kansanga collapsed and killed 6 people.
Rwobushaija asked Government to explain if owners of these buildings are compensating the families of the victims as well as thorough investigation into the causes of the building structural failures.
