UGANDA, Kampala | Real Muloodi News | The public must be aware that the title for the land they own may not have been properly surveyed. There have been many accounts of people falling victim to non professional land surveyors and some non registered surveyors faking them with inaccurate measurements.
Derrick Kalema, a resident of Kazo Angola, Kawempe Division is one such victim, who says he nearly lost half of his plot because of a non-professional surveyor. Mr Kalema got the surveyor from “a so called registered surveying company,” but doesn’t recall the name. He says the surveyor appeared legitimate because he was well equipped with all the gadgets such that a lay person would not suspect anything to be amiss. However, it was a non-professional who was once a property broker who was carrying out surveys like surveyor.
The president of the Institution of Surveyors of Uganda, Dr. Nathan Kibwami, says that unregistered surveyors account for 99% of the fraud cases they receive from the public.
Therefore, Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development Judith Nabakooba asked land surveyors through their umbrella organization, Institution of Surveyors of Uganda (ISU) and the Surveyors Registration Board (SRB) to continue promoting and advancing professionalism in the sector.
Nabakooba said this while officiating over the Pre-AGM 2022 conference launch of the Institution of Surveyors of Uganda (ISU).
The minister reiterated the theme of the forthcoming Pre-AGM Conference dubbed ‘Sustainable Urban Development: The Role of Land And Built Professionals’, saying that it reflects prevailing challenges in sustainable urbanisation.
According to the minister’s speech, surveyors must ensure adherence to ethics by addressing surveyors’ unethical conduct, which would help reform and improve the sector.
“Cases of negligence and fraud are still rampant and are costly to the economy, they must be curbed. Surveyors play an important role, especially regarding land, which is the most important factor of production. As experts in land and built-environment related matters, surveyors are very important in sustainable urban development of our country.”
“Desk surveying without reaching the site is also deadly. We believe that with the constant engagement with the surveyors through their umbrella bodies, to train their members and teach them the danger in doing shoddy work, things will be good. This will in turn add value and respect to their profession for them to gain the confidence of the public,” she said.
Dr Nathan Kibwani acknowledged the challenge of masqueraders in the surveyors’ profession.
He revealed that they are cleaning up their profession and ridding it of masqueraders, who spoil the profession’s reputation.
“Just as the minister has said we are going to work upon the ethics in the profession to see that we train our people to behave well to redefine our image. We are going to ensure that the institution represents surveyors in a good way,” said Dr Kibwani.
Nabakooba also talked about a Valuation Bill being crafted to streamline the Valuation profession further.
“The valuation surveyors use the general survey law yet they are many. As a government, we want a bill that connects directly with valuation to see that principals, standards and numbers all reconcile. The law is still in the hands of technical people. These bills should come out soon because it speaks directly to the current situation in the country,” she said.
Surveyors are of three types: land surveyors, valuation surveyors, and quantity surveyors and have one general law of 1974 that governs their operations.
Dr Kibwami shared that they are collaborating with the ministry such that all three types of surveyors have independent laws governing their operations.
“We welcome the idea because if we get a law for each category, it will help us streamline the business and we thank the minister for her commitment to expedite the process of these laws,” he said.
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