600 structures face demolition

Wakiso.

Hundreds of structures erected without approved building plans will be razed, Wakiso District authorities have revealed.
Daily Monitor has established that at least 600 structures have been earmarked for demolition.
Many of the illegal structures are in the new municipalities of Nansana, Kiira and Makindye/ Ssabagabo while others are in Masulita Town Council.
According to Mr Sam Mwesigwa, the Wakiso District engineer, many developers whose structures are affected had submitted their building plans which were not approved but went ahead with construction .
“During our recent survey, we found out that more than 600 commercial structures in Wakiso District have been illegally constructed. They are supposed to be pulled down,” Mr Mwesigwa said during an interview with Daily Monitor on Wednesday.
Mr Mwesigwa said the number of developers seeking approval for their building plans had reduced by 30 per cent, which he blamed on the increasing number of unscrupulous engineers who fake stamps.
He said the district has in the last five months lost between Shs150m to Shs200m to the said engineers.
The district deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Wasswa Masokoyi, blames the continued construction of illegal structures on some district field officers who he accuses of soliciting bribes from developers to allow them to proceed with their building plans.
“We have already notified the Architects Registration Board, which is mandated to produce building plans, about our operation and the 21-days ultimatum we gave the developers has elapsed,” Mr Masokoyi said.
He said their target for 2017/2018 Financial Year was to collect more than Shs3 billion from approved building plans, but they are likely to raise half this money.
“We have been tracking these people and have already arrested some of them,” Mr Masokoyi added.
According to Ms Edith Nakatudde, the district physical planner, they will resume inspection of sites of all developers to ascertain if they have been approved after the festive season.
“Many illegal structures usually crop up during the festive season because developers know we are not in office,” Ms Nakatudde said.
Pastor Fred Sserubogo, a resident of Wakiso Town Council, whose perimeter wall was recently demolished over lack of building plan, faulted the district officials for taking long to approve their building plans. “I injected Shs10m in erecting my perimeter wall and I submitted the plan but it took them (district) ages to approve it yet I had paid for everything, Mr Sserubogo said.