By Mmeeme Leticia Luwenze and Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
NATIONAL
As cases of collapsing buildings continue shooting up in the country, construction experts have consistently complained on the low quality of locally manufactured and imported construction materials.
Surveillance reports on the market indicate that most products used in construction especially steel products like steel bars, iron sheets, nails, cement, electric wires do not conform to the relevant regulations in respect to health, safety and environment.
David Sserukenya, a member of parliament for Makindye Ssabagabo in Wakiso District now wants the standard regulator; Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to deal with the fake construction materials already on the market one way of comabting the rising cases of collapsing buildings in the country.
“There are many fake products used in the construction which have resulted into high-profile deaths and collapse of buildings. I appeal to UNBS to review and examine construction materials on market chiefly steel products and cement in order to fight manufucturing and selling of fake products”, he added
Sserukenya was speaking to journalists in Ndejje- Kibutiika Makindye Ssabagabo Wakiso District at a scene of the three storeyed building that collaposed in the ewe morning hours on Friday.
He accuses UNBS of playing laisezzfaire games in fighting fake products on market
Earlier today, a three storeyed building collapsed in Mirimu zone Ndejje – Kibutiika Trading Centre, Makindye Ssabagabo Wakiso District.
According to Allan Lutaaya who was heading a team of the Red Cross Society from Kampala South, three dead bodies were retrieved and four victim rescued alive from the rubbles of the building inwhich they were trapped.
Luke Owoyesigyire, the deputy spokesman for Kampala Metropolitan police has identified the deceased as Namaganda Shamilah, 1.5 years , Musinguzi Boaz, 36 and another one only identified as Kasujja a male adult.
The Makindye Ssabagabo Resident District Commissioner, Mark Baingana did not differ from MP Sserukenya. He also blamed the stressful incident on the low quality of construction materials used while constructing the building.
“The materials that were used in constructing the building are of sub-standard,” said Baingana.
Baingana accuses the Makindye Ssabagabo municipal Engineer, Physical planner, Town clerk and the Ndejje Zone town clerk of failure to thoroughly supervise construction works in their areas.
Baingana who is less than two months old in the area as RDC could not confirm if the building architecture plan was approved by the council but was yet to find out.
He further disclosed that he has ordered for the arrest of the municipal Engineer and the division town clerk over negligence of duty.
Ben Manyindo, the Executive Director UNBS says most of the counterfeit products on the market cannot be traced to the manufacturers or importers because they do not indicate address on the products.
“Most of the steel bars are not market with nominal diameters, they have wrong grades declared and manufacturers offer 11 metres instead of 12 metres, manufacturers of 32 guage iron sheets make 30 guage iron sheets and mark them Pre-painted Galvanised Iron Sheets,” Manyindo said
He warned dealers for conniving with manufucturers to procure sub standard products.
