A come-back for the ‘Mwamba’ roofing style
IT was one of the most treasured roofing style years back, but it went out of ‘fashion’. Even then, not everybody could afford it, thus, it was mainly used on houses in chiefs’ homesteads. That was then! Now the mwamba (umbrella-like) roofing style is back.
By Harriet Birungi
IT was one of the most treasured roofing style years back, but it went out of ‘fashion’. Even then, not everybody could afford it, thus, it was mainly used on houses in chiefs’ homesteads. That was then! Now the mwamba (umbrella-like) roofing style is back. For a durable roof, mwamba style is the way to go, architects testify. The four-sided roof structure, joined at the centre by a ridge, is becoming every person’s desire for a house roof.
The come-back of the style has to do with its elegance, classy and firm appearance. It is an imitation of traditional huts that existed before the concept of iron sheets, says Ronald Ntege of Bucon Construction Company.
“Because there were not many options at the time, mwamba became the norm when aluminium sheets were introduced,†explains Ntege.
Ntege says the style shields the house from wind and rain. The roof top protects the walls from the forces of weather providing an umbrella-like cover.
“Roofs like the ‘store’ or gabled and flat-shaped styles cover the front and back sides, leaving the other two walls exposed. This explains why mwamba houses built over 50 years ago, are still standing strong,†says Ntege.
With this structure, the house does not easily leak since the roof allows all the rain water to run off.
However, the multiple roofs and galleys may at times make the house prone to leakages because of the many weak points formed when joining the roofing materials.
Unlike other roofing styles that use less timber, mwamba roof structure uses a lot of timber, which makes the roof more stable, thus standing the test of time.
“And because the roof covers all the gable walls, the house has a neat and beautiful appearance that other roof structures cannot compare to,†adds Ntege.
Though the style is classy, Kennedy Muyanda, a city engineer, says it has some shortcomings.
“It is time-wasting in terms of construction. Because there is lot of work done in fixing the roofing, one has to be patient,†explains the engineer.
The structure also needs a lot of materials, especially for the roofing. Because there is a lot of wastage as iron sheets are cut to follow the gabled wall.
The roofing also needs a lot of expertise. Not any builder can construct a mwamba roof.
IT was one of the most treasured roofing style years back, but it went out of ‘fashion’. Even then, not everybody could afford it, thus, it was mainly used on houses in chiefs’ homesteads. That was then! Now the mwamba (umbrella-like) roofing style is back. For a durable roof, mwamba style is the way to go, architects testify. The four-sided roof structure, joined at the centre by a ridge, is becoming every person’s desire for a house roof.
The come-back of the style has to do with its elegance, classy and firm appearance. It is an imitation of traditional huts that existed before the concept of iron sheets, says Ronald Ntege of Bucon Construction Company.
“Because there were not many options at the time, mwamba became the norm when aluminium sheets were introduced,†explains Ntege.
Ntege says the style shields the house from wind and rain. The roof top protects the walls from the forces of weather providing an umbrella-like cover.
“Roofs like the ‘store’ or gabled and flat-shaped styles cover the front and back sides, leaving the other two walls exposed. This explains why mwamba houses built over 50 years ago, are still standing strong,†says Ntege.
With this structure, the house does not easily leak since the roof allows all the rain water to run off.
However, the multiple roofs and galleys may at times make the house prone to leakages because of the many weak points formed when joining the roofing materials.
Unlike other roofing styles that use less timber, mwamba roof structure uses a lot of timber, which makes the roof more stable, thus standing the test of time.
“And because the roof covers all the gable walls, the house has a neat and beautiful appearance that other roof structures cannot compare to,†adds Ntege.
Though the style is classy, Kennedy Muyanda, a city engineer, says it has some shortcomings.
“It is time-wasting in terms of construction. Because there is lot of work done in fixing the roofing, one has to be patient,†explains the engineer.
The structure also needs a lot of materials, especially for the roofing. Because there is a lot of wastage as iron sheets are cut to follow the gabled wall.
The roofing also needs a lot of expertise. Not any builder can construct a mwamba roof.