The National Building Review Board has (NBRB) has recommended the evacuation of Lotis Towers, a swanky building in Nakasero for safety of tenants while a comprehensive structural integrity assessment of the entire building is conducted to inform the next actions to be taken.
This follows the attention of NBRB being drawn to the “compression failure of a Reinforced Concrete Column on the 6th floor of Lotis Towers, (a 14-level office Block) on Mackinnon Road, Kampala.”
“A team of Engineers visited the site to conduct a preliminary assessment of the defects on the structure and their effect on the safety of the occupants and the neighbourhood,” said in a statement.
The buildings Project Consultants and Contractor, Roko construction had studied the defects and were attempting to rectify the anomaly when NBRB instructed that the proposed remedial work methodology is submitted to KCCA’s Building Committee for review and approval, before an repairs can be undertaken.
To reach the decision of recommending an evacuation, the National Buildings Review Board noted several columns with similar signs of failure were observed in the basement.
The NBRB notes that despite these defects, the building’s management is in possession of an occupation permit (a document issued clearing a building for fitness of use).
The building houses corporate offices like Tullow Oil.