Poorly planned houses are not worth it

A visit to Nsimbiziwome Village, Bukoto II parish, Nakawa Division in Kampala district, recently revealed a couple of horrific scenes of houses constructed on risky escarpments, appearing like they are hanging midair.

Most of these structures stand on weak foundations, posing a risk to their occupants.

One of the homes visited precariously sits on a wooden barrier that has been erected with the intention of protecting the structure from collapsing. However, this barrier gave way during the rainy season, destroying the nearby property below it.

Rebecca Tibaherwa, one of the owners of these homes, says poverty and insufficient and weak construction materials are responsible for the emergence of such houses.

Located on the very edge of one of the steep hills, Tibaherwa says she obtained a building plan from the authorities and that her builders used concrete iron bars to support the structure against collapsing.

However, they were flabbergasted to witness the soil around it being washed away by rain, leaving the house ‘hanging’. “At first, we thought it was strong enough to last, but it was not. I am thinking of using stronger materials,”' she says.

According to Joan Kasiirye Akiiki, the village chairperson of Nsimbiziwome, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) continues to issue building permits for people to construct houses in such places even when the materials used are not certified. “Often, city authorities do not visit the sites before issuing the permits. As long as they have received the permit fees, they issue them out,” Kasiirye notes.

As a matter of fact, she says some of these houses barely have space for one to have a compound of even pit latrines. “It makes this place a congested and unhealthy settlement.”

As more and more Ugandans ignore building laws and push professionals out of the construction sector, choosing to rely on local artisans, they continue to propagate the vice of mushrooming illegal structures. “They also use fewer materials than those required in the construction process, which leads to structures collapsing,” she adds.

Edward Ssewanyana, the Managing Director of Empire Group in Kampala, says construction experts provide specialised knowledge and skills in ensuring efficient construction projects.

Ideally, these experts should ensure that projects are carried out according to the required standards and regulations.

They should also share the required information with locals in the communities who may not be informed about construction laws. “Unfortunately for us, there is an increase in the use of unprofessional labour in the form of unregistered engineers, which has resulted in construction chaos in Kampala,” he says.

Involve architects

Jacqueline Namayanja, the president of the Uganda Society of Architects, said Ugandans who plan to build should consider architects for proper planning and design of buildings. “The architect creates, shapes, and modifies environments with special attention to a quality setting, ensuring safety first,’’ she explained.

Anthony Rucukye, the manager of investigations for the National Building Review Board (NBRB), says it is about time Ugandans took construction back to qualified professionals.

“How can construction (design and implementation) be placed in the hands of unqualified artisans? It is about time professionals—architects, engineers, and surveyors—took back the reigns of the construction sector for safe living,’’ he says.

According to him, for the last four years, NBRB has investigated 39 buildings that collapsed, in which 56 Ugandans died and 69 were seriously injured, hinting that lack of design or inferior design was found to be the leading cause of the collapse in 46% of the cases.

“We also found out that poor material use was at 23% and unsafe construction methods/lack of supervision at 22%, which implies that there were no experts consulted or involved in the construction exercise,” he adds.

Procedures before construction

• The Ugandan law requires developers to obtain both the development and building permits (from the Physical Planning Committee at their local or urban authority) before construction can commence.
• The first step in this process is to purchase land for construction, then bring in the appropriate experts.
• The developers also require a land surveyor to open boundaries and map out the site.
• The design: The architect must understand the client’s requirements about the location and site (and what has been produced by the surveyor) and translate that into drawings, upon which other professionals can then be introduced.
• The architect’s product at this stage will guide the structural engineer for their structural designs and the quantity surveyor for their initial costing or even final costing (bills of quantities). Depending on the level of the design, the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers will be called on site.
• During the construction process, do not try to minimise costs because they are long-term costs you will incur that turn out to be higher than what you would have used to hire professionals.
• Invest in quality materials when constructing; don't just buy materials because they are cheaper.

Poorly planned houses also contribute to environmental degradation and pose long-term maintenance challenges for the owners. “The landlord of such a home may have to grapple with constant leaks or a lack of adequate flow of water. Also, such houses have weak foundations; parts of the walls may crack or even collapse,” he elaborated.