WAKISO – Wakiso District is losing UGX3.7 billion annually in unapproved building plans, with authorities vowing to crack down on the engineers and contractors promoting the vice.
According to Mr Sam Mwesigwa, the Wakiso District engineer, between August and December 2017, the district lost close to UGX200 million to some engineers who issue fake building plans to developers.
Mr Mwesigwa said many engineers submit building plans from their clients and don’t follow them for approval, which he said has caused financial loss to the Wakiso District.
“According to our records, the district has already recorded a total of 578 buildings whose owners commenced construction works before their building plans were approved,” he said, adding: “So we have started operation of tracking down all engineers and locals who construct without having approved plans.”
Majority of the structures which lack approved building plans are in the new municipalities of Nansana, Kira and Makindye-Ssabagabo while others are in Wakiso, Kyengera Town Council, Katabi, Kakiri and Masulita town councils.
He said this financial year (2018 -2019), the district projects to collect more than Shs3 billion from approved building plans, but they are likely to raise a half or less due to noncompliance by some developers.
“Instead of destroying the illegal structures as earlier planned, the district engineer and physical planning departments have given a three-months ultimatum to illegal property owners to secure approved building plans,” he said.
“We are giving the developers about five months from November 2018 to March 2019 to make a follow up on their unapproved plans in our office and if they fail to do so, we shall cancel the whole process and compel them to submit fresh plans.”
Mr Mwesigwa said after the expiry of the ultimatum, the district will dispatch its team of field officers to ascertain whether developers have complied.
“They [field officers] will move from site to site to ascertain whether all developers have genuine building plans. Those [developers], who will have commenced construction works without approved plans and certified civil engineers on site, will definitely be arrested and prosecuted and their structures demolished at their own expenses,” he added.
