The Minister of Works and Transport Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala has called on the professionals, regulatory bodies and building committees, make the building control processes, predictable, simple and easy to access by members of the public. To the minister, hiding in complexities is discouraging Ugandans from complying with building laws and regulations. The Minister made the call at the Kampala City Building Control Baraza organized by the National Building Review Board (NBRB) at Bat Valley Primary School play grounds in Kampala with an aim of sensitizing the public about the dos and not of the building sector. “I am pleased to see the regulators, professionals, political leaders and members of the general public in one space, chatting a way forward on how to have a better and safe built city. It is through these face to face meetings that we can have transparency and buy- in from the public of the services we offer them as government”. Katumba emphasized. Kampala City has witnessed numerous building accidents that have claimed lives and property. In September 2021, five people died and many escaped with injuries after a four-storied building collapsed in Kisenyi. Just over two months ago, one person died and four others injured when a building collapsed in Kansanga as the developer tried to modify the existing structure without the necessary studies to ascertain the structural strength of the building and appropriate designs. According to the Minister most of these accidents are attributed to failure to employ professionals, use of substandard materials, inadequate supervision, use of middlemen, corruption, disregard of the building laws and regulations among others. “Studies carried out by the NBRB, on the compliance of our buildings in the 11 cities, Kampala inclusive have painted a gruesome picture of the sector. For example, of the 5,642 properties assessed by NBRB in 2021 only 22.7 % were compliant. Only 6% of these buildings had acquired building permits”. Katumba revealed. At the Baraza, the Mayor for Kampala Central Division, Salim Uhuru decried the delays in approval of building plans by KCCA, which delays he says breed corruption and disregard of the building laws. In his response however, the KCCA Building Control Officer, Eng. Peter Paul Wanyama attributed the delays to inadequate designs submitted by the professionals. “About 60% of the designs submitted are poor because the professionals have left the design matters to quacks”. Wanyama noted. In her remarks, the Executive Secretary of the National Building Review Board Eng. Flavia Bwire reminded the building committees of the stipulated time of 30 days in which they must respond to the developers about their building applications. “The Building Control Act, 2013 gives developers a right to appeal to the Board in case one is dissatisfied with the conduct of the building committee. As developers utilize this window if there are delays in approval of your building plans”. Eng. Bwire emphasized. The Executive Secretary further rallied developers in Kampala to always seek the services of registered professionals that is the engineers, architects and surveyors, throughout the construction processes. The baraza was attended by representatives of professional and regulatory bodies of the Engineers Registration Board (ERB), Architects Registration Board (ARB), National Physical Planning Board (NPPB), Surveyors Registration Board (SRB), Institute of Surveyors of Uganda (ISU), Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers (UIPE). Others included LC1 Chairpersons, Councilors from Wakiso district, members of Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA), students from Makerere and Kyambogo university, property developers among others. To further insure building compliance in the city the NBRB will hold sensitization meeting with developers, members of KACITA and also hold more public baraza in all the divisions of Kampala City.