Nine construction workers were injured while others were feared trapped after a building under construction collapsed in Kisasi on Friday, prompting a joint rescue and investigation operation by Police and the National Building Review Board.
The three-storey structure, located in Kisota Zone in Kikaya Parish, came crashing down at about 1 p.m. while builders were working on the site.
Residents and first responders rushed to the scene to rescue workers trapped in the rubble as emergency teams from the Police Fire and Rescue Services, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), and the Uganda Red Cross intensified search efforts.
According to Kisota Zone LC I Chairperson John Kisembo, the building suddenly gave way while several laborers were carrying out construction work.
Kisembo said community members managed to pull out a number of injured workers, most of whom had been working on the lower levels of the structure.
“The workers who survived told us some of their colleagues were still trapped on the upper floors when the building collapsed,” he said.
The injured victims were transported to Malcolm Medical Centre in Kisasi for treatment.
Residents in the area questioned the quality of construction works at the site, saying the building had been going up rapidly over the past eight months. Some neighbors also raised concerns about the possible use of poor-quality materials.
Officials from the National Building Review Board visited the scene and began collecting samples from the debris for laboratory analysis.
Board spokesperson Herbert Zziwa said engineers and technical experts would examine the materials to determine whether they met required construction standards.
He added that investigators were also demanding construction approval documents from the building owner, including permits issued by KCCA as required under the Building Control Act.
Zziwa further said authorities want the site engineer to provide proof of professional qualifications and details of the technical team overseeing the project.
Meanwhile, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachel Kawala confirmed that efforts were ongoing to establish whether additional workers remained trapped beneath the debris.
Kawala said police had also launched a hunt for the site engineer, supervisor, and property owner to help with investigations into the collapse.
“Efforts are underway to trace those responsible for the construction site so they can assist with investigations,” she said.
Kawempe Division Mayor Emmanuel Sserunjogi blamed recurring building collapses in Kampala on weak supervision within the city’s planning sector.
He noted that KCCA’s physical planning department has been operating under staffing challenges, including the lack of a substantive director.
Building collapses continue to raise concern in Kampala and surrounding areas, with experts attributing the incidents to poor workmanship, weak enforcement of construction standards, and inadequate engineering supervision.
Records indicate that between 2019 and 2025, Uganda registered at least 41 building collapses, resulting in more than 90 deaths and over 100 injuries, most of them within the Kampala metropolitan area.
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