Part of the church building that reportedly curved in
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I More than 100 people are feared trapped beneath the rubble after a church building linked to preacher Brother Ronnie Makabai collapsed in Kawuku-Bwerenga, Wakiso District, on Monday, October 26, 2026, triggering an emergency rescue operation involving police and the military.
The building, which was under construction as part of an expansion at Holy City Entebbe Church in Kawuku, Katabi Town Council, reportedly caved in while people were working or present at the site.
At least 10 people had been pulled from the debris by the time of the initial reports, with more than 10 people reportedly sustaining injuries. The victims were rushed to Kisubi Hospital and Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital for emergency medical attention.
Rescue efforts were ongoing as emergency responders worked to establish whether more people remained trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
The Uganda Police Force and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) deployed teams to the scene, which was cordoned off to facilitate rescue operations and restrict access to the affected area.
The scale of the incident raised fears of a potentially high casualty toll, although the number of people trapped, the final number of victims and the extent of the injuries had not yet been officially established.
Cause of collapse remains unknown
The exact cause of the collapse had not been established by press time, with investigations by local authorities still in their preliminary stages.
Authorities are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the structural failure, including the building’s construction, the condition of its supporting structures and whether applicable building safety requirements were followed.
However, no official findings had been released to establish what caused the building to cave in, and it would be premature to attribute the incident to construction defects, poor-quality materials, overloading or any other specific factor.
Investigations will be important in determining whether the collapse resulted from a structural weakness, a construction-related problem or other circumstances.
The emergency response is expected to prioritise locating and extracting survivors before investigators can conduct a comprehensive assessment of the site.
Building safety concerns
The incident is likely to renew attention on construction safety and the supervision of building projects, particularly structures intended to accommodate large gatherings.
Churches and other places of worship often attract substantial numbers of people during services, prayer meetings and special religious events, making structural integrity and compliance with safety standards essential.
In Uganda, building projects are subject to planning and building control requirements intended to ensure that structures are safe for their intended use. Relevant authorities may examine approved building plans, construction standards and inspection records when investigating a collapse.
The incident also highlights the importance of enforcing construction requirements before buildings are occupied or opened to the public.
Nevertheless, any determination of whether safety requirements were breached at Holy City Entebbe Church will depend on the findings of the official investigation.
Rescue operation continues
With more than 100 people initially feared trapped, rescuers faced the urgent task of searching the debris and evacuating anyone who might still be alive.
The condition of those rescued, the identities of the victims and the total number of people who may have been inside the building at the time of the collapse were yet to be fully confirmed.
Authorities had not established the final casualty figures as the rescue operation continued.
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