The Uganda Police Force and the National Building Review Board are hunting the site engineer and owner of the Kisasi building that collapsed Friday, injuring nine casual laborers as rescuers search for others feared trapped. A three-storey building under construction in Kisota Zone, Kikaya, Kisasi, collapsed from the top floor around 1 p.m. Friday with builders on site.
According to John Kisembo, the Kisota Zone LC I Chairperson who was near the collapsed building, it caved in suddenly while several workers.were on site. He said residents rescued at least eight workers, who were rushed to Malcolm Medical Centre in Kisasi in a Red Cross vehicle that was among the first responders at the scene.
“Those we rescued were mostly on the lower floors and were injured while running for their lives. The workers we saved said other colleagues on the upper floors are still trapped inside.” Kisembo said. He said the building had been under construction for eight months and was still underway when it collapsed, prompting neighbors to question the rapid pace of work and the suspected use of substandard materials.
Herbert Zziwa, spokesperson for the National Building Review Board, said a team of experts including laboratory technicians and engineers was collecting samples from the site. He said the examination will determine the quality of materials used. “These materials are going to our laboratories to determine if they meet standards,” Zziwa said. “We also want the site owner to present his KCCA construction permits as required by the amended Building Control Act.”
He added that they also want the site engineer to present his qualifications and details of the team he was supervising at the collapsed building.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Rachel Kawala said teams from Police Fire and Rescue Services, supported by Kampala Capital City Authority, were still on site working to determine whether more people were trapped in the debris and to establish if there were fatalities.
“Efforts are underway to trace and apprehend the site supervisor and any others who may be held responsible to assist with the ongoing investigations. Further details will be communicated as they become available.”Kawala stated.
Kawempe Urban Division Mayor, Emmanuel Sserunjogi, said this is the first building collapse in the division under his leadership, though similar incidents have occurred elsewhere in Kampala.
He added that KCCA’s planning department, which supervises construction in the city, faces major challenges including the absence of a substantive Director of Physical Planning.
Sserunjogi said the current director was seconded by the Ministry of Lands and his contract has already expired. Building collapses in Kampala remain a persistent problem, fueled by poor workmanship, substandard materials, and inadequate engineering oversight.
From 2019 to 2025, Uganda recorded at least 41 structural failures, leaving more than 90 people dead and 100 injured. The majority occurred in the Kampala metropolitan area-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
