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Government cracks down on risky timber-steel building method across Kampala
The National Building Review Board is not playing around anymore. They have launched a fresh sweep in Kira Municipality and other parts of Greater Kampala, targeting anyone still using the banned steel-timber composite construction method. This technique got outlawed back in 2022 after experts decided it was too risky for Ugandan conditions, no proper standards, unknown timber quality, and serious worries about fire and earthquake safety.
During the latest operation on March 10 several people were picked up. The board’s executive secretary, Eng Flavia Gutto Bwire, explained that buildings that can be strengthened will get fixed, but the ones that cannot will come down according to the law. The method itself uses timber joists on steel beams with concrete topping, and plenty of developers had jumped on it thinking it would save money.
What makes this more than just another enforcement story is the bigger picture: years of warnings ignored, shortcuts taken, and now real consequences for safety. If you live or work in any of these structures, it might be worth checking whether your building was part of the sweep. The authorities are serious this time, and that is probably good news for anyone who values not having their roof collapse unexpectedly.
