Lord mayor Balimwezo meets engineers to discuss Kampala development

16 June 2026, 11:09 am

By Ronald Ssemagonja

Kampala Lord Mayor, Eng. Ronald Balimwezo, has held a meeting with the President of the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers (UIPE), Eng. Peterson Mwesige, and his team, who paid a courtesy visit to his office to discuss ways in which engineers can support the development of Kampala City.

During the meeting held at the Lord Mayor’s office in Kampala, Balimwezo appreciated the UIPE leadership for the visit, noting that it provided an opportunity to discuss issues aimed at improving the city.

“I thank the President and his team for checking on us. Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is like a full government because everything is done here, which is why it has a full ministry. On that point, we need partners to work with to ensure that the city progresses well. Remember, I said Kampala needs an engineer. I am sure that this friendship is going to benefit us and the people of Kampala, helping to reduce accidents. To achieve this, we must use professionals. We had a very successful meeting and we are optimistic that it will produce positive results,” Balimwezo said.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, UIPE President Eng. Peterson Mwesige said they had visited the Lord Mayor to congratulate him and pledge their support to the city leadership.

“The Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers is a professional body that brings together engineers, technicians and technologists across Uganda. We have about 12,000 members spread across the country in eight branches. We are the voice of engineers in Uganda. We were hosted by the Lord Mayor to congratulate him,” Mwesige said.

He added that engineers are ready to support the city’s transformation agenda.

“When the Lord Mayor was campaigning, he said that the city requires an engineer. The engineers he was referring to are us. We have to transform Kampala under the leadership of the Lord Mayor and his council. We discussed a number of issues. KCCA is in charge of various projects in the city, ranging from infrastructure, roads and energy, among others. These are areas where engineers play a critical role,” he said.

Mwesige further revealed that engineers are prepared to support the proposed train project in Kampala by providing technical expertise and personnel.

Regarding the increasing cases of building collapses in the country, Mwesige attributed the problem to the failure by some developers to engage qualified professionals.

“Investigations into building collapses are always conducted. However, many of the reports are not made public. Some of these reports are used to establish responsibility and hold those at fault accountable. We have laws with very strict penalties. What remains is the enforcement of those penalties, which is the mandate of the National Building Review Board,” he stated.

The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between KCCA and the engineering fraternity in promoting safe, sustainable and modern urban development within Kampala City.