Police Suspend Rescue Operation at Collapsed Makindye Building

Uganda Police have temporarily called off the rescue operations at the collapsed building in Kalezia zone, Makindye Division where scores were earlier feared dead.

According to a statement released by the Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesman, SP Patrick Onyango, the temporary suspension comes after realization that no more people are trapped in the building.

“Last evening, the rescue team reached the basement where, we had been told there were eight people trapped there.The rescue team didn’t get anybody whether dead or alive,” said Onyango on Sunday.

He stated that Police have also not been notified of any missing person within the area hence dwindling the probability of some people still being trapped down.

“Police have not received any information from anyone that their person is still missing at the site,” he added.

Police detectives are said to have interviewed some of the workers at the site, including the woman, who has been cooking food for them and she said all the workers had left by the time the building collapsed except Godfrey Oonyu.

Oonyu was rescued on the first day of the operation.

“We believe that there is nobody who is still trapped in the rubble. However, we call upon anyone whose relative was working at the site and is still missing to report to Katwe Police Station,” said Onyango.

During Mayor Erias Lukwago’s visit of the crime scene, it was established that KCCA had halted the construction but there was adamancy.

There was no proper plan and the building property had been confiscated twice on top of substandard materials.

The KCCA Building Supervisors Joseph Balikuddembe and a one Ochom were arrested by police to support the investigations.

Apparently KCCA has no substantive Director in charge of Physical Planning after the end out tenure of Moses Atwiine and the arrest of Ivan Katongole who replaced him in acting capacity for sanctioning the demolition of St. Peter’s Church, Ndeeba.

Since Covid-19 outbreak, three buildings have so far collapsed in Makindye Division as a result of negligence.

With the KCCA Amendment Act 2019, KCCA is supposed to implement the Building Control Act of 2013 by putting in place the KCCA Building Committee.

The Lord Mayor recently appointed Hon Moses Kataabu to represent his Executive on the same but hasn’t been fully constituted.

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