Builders rush to Kisenyi for ‘second hand’ iron sheets as economy bites

Jeff Mukwaya, a roofer in Kampala says many of the new houses in the city are being roofed using damaged iron sheets, from Kisenyi.

I disputed this allegation because I thought such iron sheets are not fit for human usage. I thought they are reserved for piggery or poultry farms.

“Unless you are keen, it is difficult to tell that they are discarded iron sheets. But also, you have to be a roofer to know,” Mukwaya told me.

Although the prices of these iron sheets are the same among the different traders, the colored ones are more expensive.

At one of the kiosks, one Annet Nassozi, a dealer in this business says buying 40 pieces of discarded sheets to roof a four-room house has varied costs.

“The prices depend on the iron sheet ranges. For example, if you are buying 28 iron sheets, each piece costs sh52,000. Roofing the entire house using 40 iron sheets will cost about sh2.8m. While, for a range of 30, the 40 pieces will be sh1.7m,” Nassozi explains.

In hardware shops in Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso districts, the same iron sheets are sold between sh60,000 and sh65,000.

Shops selling demaged ironsheets in Kisenyi

To roof a four-room house costs over sh3m. As Nassozi was still explaining the prices of other types, she got a call from another customer, saying, he was coming, to collect 30 white pieces of iron sheets.

Each cost sh25,000. At most hardware shops in the city suburbs, the same material cost sh30,000.

“I have just got an order. A client wants 30 pieces,” she said, while moving out of the kiosk, to sort the iron sheets.

Are the iron sheets durable?

“Yes, they are. Factories consider them to be damaged because the colors are not shimmering and or the designs did not turn out well. Recently, two gentlemen from Gulu City purchased them. So, our market is not only in Kampala and Wakiso but beyond,” she explains.

Companies speak out 

Experts from Roofings Ltd and Royal Mabati Uganda Ltd, the two companies known for producing iron sheets confirm that these discarded iron sheets are popularly used in Uganda because they are cheaper than the prime iron sheets. However, some traders, mix the damaged with the prime ones.

Tile ironsheets sold at Kisenyi. They are damaged

“We receive complaints from our customers, intimating that traders running hardware shops, go to Kisenyi, buy these damaged iron sheets, and mix them with the prime ones,” reveals Joshua Singoma, of Royal Mabaati Uganda Ltd. Also, Edwin Abaasa, the brand manager of Roofings Group says houses roofed with such iron sheets, are not durable.

“They easily rust, are not easy to put together, and cannot complement each other,” Abaasa explains.

Some construction experts also note that such iron sheets easily face corrosion, and age fast if they are exposed to too much sun, rain, and moisture.

“They will quickly oxidize. In Uganda, too much rainfall and extreme heat cause corrosion,” Godfrey Sempungu, a construction expert says.

However, Muhammed Nsereko, another construction expert is of the view that second-hand iron sheets are durable.

“They are mostly discolored and are not as bright by factory standards. That is why they are considered damaged. Others have uneven shapes and sizes. For instance, instead of machine-producing three meters, it produces two. Also, in some cases, when the power goes off during production, it can affect the design.

The iron sheets will come out with such effects. And they are considered to be damaged,” Nsereko explains.

Why high demand for damaged iron sheets? 

The rapid population growth in Uganda is fueling the demand for houses. But currently, the housing deficit in the country stands at 2.4 million housing units, of which 210,000 are in urban areas and 1.395 million units in rural areas.

The few Ugandans who are saving money want to build houses. “They go to Kisenyi for cheaper iron sheets but with good designs,” Ibrahim Kasozi, a real estate businessman reveals.

Challenges 

For them to be firm, Nsereko says using these iron sheets requires more nails and timber. “And if the damage was related to size, the roof can start leaking within a short period,” he adds.