Engineer Andrew Kitaka
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Whether he will be able to rein in those putting up illegal structures as well as those building using substandard materials is one of the outstanding questions following the appointment of Engineer Andrew Kitaka as Chairperson of the National Building Review Board.
Government’s intention appears to be to leverage Kitaka’s extensive civil engineering and public administration experience to restore order in Uganda’s construction industry, strengthen enforcement of building standards and curb the growing number of building collapses that have claimed lives and destroyed property in recent years.
Cabinet approved Kitaka’s appointment during its meeting at State House, Entebbe on Monday, with the announcement made on Tuesday by the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Justine Kasule Lumumba.
His appointment comes at a time when the country is grappling with increasing concerns over illegal construction, poor workmanship, use of substandard building materials and weak enforcement of building regulations.
The National Building Review Board, established under the Building Control Act, is mandated to regulate and coordinate building control activities across Uganda, ensuring compliance with national building safety standards.
As chairperson, Kitaka will lead the board in overseeing building approvals, promoting compliance with construction regulations and advising government on measures to improve safety in the sector.
Experienced engineer
The appointment places one of Uganda’s most experienced engineers at the centre of efforts to reform an industry that has repeatedly come under scrutiny following fatal building collapses in Kampala and other urban centres.
Kitaka is widely regarded as one of the country’s leading civil engineers, having spent decades overseeing some of Kampala’s most significant infrastructure projects.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Makerere University and a Master’s degree in Road and Transportation Engineering from the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands.
His professional journey began at Kagga & Partners before he joined the Road Agency Formation Unit (RAFU), one of the institutions that laid the foundation for Uganda’s modern national road network.
He later worked with the European Union as an operations officer responsible for road infrastructure projects, where he supervised the implementation of major transport programmes funded by the development partner.
In 2011, when the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) was created, Kitaka was recruited from the European Union to serve as Director of Engineering and Technical Services.
The appointment proved pivotal both for KCCA and for Kampala’s transformation.
Brilliance at KCCA
During his seven years as engineering director, Kitaka oversaw the design and implementation of numerous road construction, drainage improvement and urban infrastructure projects that significantly changed the city’s landscape.
Many observers credit him as one of the principal architects behind Kampala’s extensive road reconstruction programme undertaken during the early years of KCCA.
His responsibilities included supervising engineering works, managing infrastructure investments and ensuring quality standards on projects funded by both the Government of Uganda and development partners.
Kitaka’s profile rose further in December 2018 after the resignation of Jennifer Musisi as KCCA Executive Director.
He was appointed Acting Executive Director and led the authority for nearly two years during a politically sensitive transition period.
As acting head of KCCA, he supervised the implementation of several government and World Bank-funded infrastructure projects while maintaining delivery of essential city services.
His tenure came to an end in June 2020 when President Yoweri Museveni appointed Dorothy Kisaka as the substantive Executive Director.
Following the appointment, Kitaka returned to his former position as Director of Engineering before resigning from KCCA in October 2020, bringing to an end a nine-year career at the city authority.
His latest appointment now presents a different but equally demanding challenge.
Overseer of construction sector
Unlike his previous roles that focused largely on infrastructure development, the National Building Review Board requires him to oversee regulation of an entire sector involving local governments, engineers, architects, contractors, developers and building inspectors across the country.
The board is expected to strengthen enforcement of the Building Control Act, improve inspection systems and ensure greater compliance with approved building plans and engineering standards.
The task is particularly significant given Uganda’s recurring incidents of buildings collapsing during construction or shortly after completion, often with devastating consequences.
Investigations into many of those incidents have cited poor supervision, illegal structural alterations, inadequate professional oversight and the use of inferior construction materials.
With his extensive engineering background, experience in public administration and track record of managing complex infrastructure programmes, Kitaka is widely viewed as possessing the technical competence needed to steer the National Building Review Board.
The National Building Review Board (NBRB) is a government agency in Uganda established by the Building Control Act, 2013. Operating as a corporate body under the Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT), the board officially commenced its operations in October 2018. Its primary mandate is to regulate the built environment and ensure planned, decent, and safe structures across Uganda.
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