The high court in Makindye has advised relatives to the 13 deceased builders who died when an illegal structure under construction suddenly caved in and collapsed to opt for an out of court compensation. In May this year,13 dead bodies were retrieved from under the rubble after the building along Soweto Road in Kansanga, Makindye Division in […]
The high court in Makindye has advised relatives to the 13 deceased builders who died when an illegal structure under construction suddenly caved in and collapsed to opt for an out of court compensation.
In May this year,13 dead bodies were retrieved from under the rubble after the building along Soweto Road in Kansanga, Makindye Division in Kampala collapsed at 12 am suddenly.
The relatives to the deceased went to court seeking compensation for the immediate family members to the victims, arguing that the deceased left behind dependants that needed to be financially settled.
The building that was being constructed illegally belonged to Abraham Kalanzi 31 and was under the supervision of Engineer Christopher Bandi Ruhambya 51.
The two accused were charged with on 3 counts of constructing illegally without a license and defying an order to halt construction.
Kalanzi had been warned by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Physical Planning Department to halt construction, citing some sub-standard architectural documents but he defied and continued construction during the lockdown.
Justice Edith Mbabazi who presided over the court directed that both parties be given the period up to the 5th of August 2020 to have an out of court settlement or have a trial.
Reports indicate that KCCA had suspended construction in March when the building was on the first floor but at the time of the collapse, it had reached the fourth floor.
The lawyer representing the accused Antony Wameli and co. Advocates says they have so far compensated the families of 7 victims and court has allowed them to continue negotiations with others which is currently ongoing.
