Police have retrieved two bodies from the collapsed building in Kisota road, Kisaasi, in Kawempe Division. A three-storey building collapsed yesterday at around 2:00 p.m. in Kisota road, Kisaasi, trapping more than 10 people who were working at the site.
Nine people sustained serious injuries and were rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital. The police retrieved two bodies of people who had been trapped beneath the debris on Saturday. The deceased have been identified as James, alias Rasta, and Jonathan Kivumbi, who was working as the site supervision.
Speaking to journalists, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Director of Engineering and Technical Services, Engineer Justus Akankwasa, said the building was being constructed illegally and attributed the collapse to poor structural design and the use of weak construction materials.
Akankwasa said preliminary investigations indicate that the structure suffered what engineers describe as a “pancake failure” a dangerous form of collapse in which floors fall vertically onto one another until the entire building crashes to the ground.
According to Akankwasa, the structure had been flagged by KCCA, and construction was halted in April due to non-compliance. However, it is alleged that the developers continued construction, mostly at night, and proceeded to add more floors despite stop orders issued by the city authority.
“The preliminary assessment shows this was a pancake-type failure whereby a building collapses vertically, floor after floor, until it comes down completely,” Akankwasa explained. He noted that such failures occur when columns the vertical supports that carry a building’s load are either poorly designed or constructed using weak materials.
As additional weight is added to the structure, the columns eventually give way simultaneously, causing the entire building to collapse. Akankwasa warned that pancake collapses are particularly deadly because occupants have little chance of survival once the floors come crashing down on one another.
“If the columns are stronger, slabs may tilt and create voids where people can survive. But in this case, the building came down completely, which is why pancake failures are extremely dangerous,” he said.
Engineer Akankwasa further blamed the collapse on the absence of professional supervision, noting that the illegal structure had not followed the authority’s building approval process. “When we issue building permits, we emphasize the need for qualified professionals to supervise construction works. That is why buildings constructed under approved permits rarely collapse, because they are monitored by professionals throughout the construction process,” he said.
Engineer Ronald Balimwezo, the Lord Mayor of Kampala, called on the city authority and police to investigate the matter and hold accountable any KCCA officials who neglected their responsibilities so that the families of the deceased can obtain justice.
Balimwezo also called on professional bodies, including architects and the Building Review Board, to investigate the incident in order to address the recurring problem of building collapses in Kampala.
Michael Kabugo, one of the survivors, was rescued from the debris and rushed to Mulago Hospital. However, Kabugo later left the hospital and returned to the scene to follow up on the rescue efforts for his brother, who was still trapped beneath the collapsed building. Speaking to journalists, Kabugo said that at the time of the collapse, he was on the top floor removing the timber supports that had been placed beneath the slab.
While doing so, the building suddenly collapsed.Because he was on the top floor, he came down with the collapsing structure and became trapped under the debris before being rescued with minor injuries.
KCCA Executive Director Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki said the authority would pursue action against the building engineer, the developer, and any KCCA officials who failed to carry out their responsibilities to ensure that justice is served.
Buzeki also revealed that KCCA would stand with the families of the deceased, contribute financial assistance towards burial arrangements, and support the injured victims receiving treatment in hospital.
Emanuel Sserunjogi, the Mayor of Kawempe Division, called for the full devolution of powers so that city divisions can directly monitor building works taking place within their jurisdictions, rather than having the responsibility centralized at City Hall. It is alleged that the developer of the building that collapsed is only known as Jingo. It has also been found out that there was not registration book for workers who were working on that building. According to people around it is alleged that there are more people still trapped under the debris-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
