Forty-eight year old Expedite Ssendikadiwa a resident of Lukuli Nanganda village in Makindye Division is a fundi who started out as a potter in 1997. Since then, he has worked and supervised on a number of construction sites in Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.

Despite his experience, Ssendikadiwa lacks formal training in construction, making his sites a recipe for disaster in form of building accidents.

Ssendikadiwa is among the 200 fundis, the National Building Review Board (NBRB)together with Makerere University College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology have trained on building laws and regulations.

“Before this training we thought professionals are only needed on storied buildings, but we have learnt that involving them at all levels is important for our safety as workers and the finished building” Ssendikadiwa noted.

The Fundis who include builders, potters, welders, steel benders, roofers, painters, plumbers and electricians were drawn from the 5 divisions of Kampala city of Makindye, Kawempe, Kampala Central and Rubaga.

The two days training mainly focused on building materials and their application, land ownership, site analysis, building construction methods and techniques, building laws and regulations, building codes and standards, safety at construction sites, basic metal works and welding, interior and exterior design, painting and aesthetics, basic plumbing, the Building Industry Management System (BIMS) among other issues.

During the training, the Executive Secretary of the National Building Review Board (NBRB) Eng. Flavia Gutto Bwire highlighted the significance of following the building control regulations by fundis on site as the only way of ensuring their safety.

“We want to have fundis who are able to differentiate between the right and wrong building materials, see and interpret approved drawings and are able to only take instructions from the professionals instead of the developers”. Eng. Flavia emphasized.

The Head of Architecture and Physical Planning, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology at Makerere University Dr Amin Tamale Kiggundu, noted the existing gap between the public and learning institutions as a challenge in formalizing the operations of the fundis.

“We hope in the future to have our studies be part of these trainings and get the experience from the fundis especially the element of self-employment”. He noted.

This is the second training NBRB and Makerere University have had with fundis on building control regulations. In 2022, 65 fundis were trained from Kampala.