THE NEW ENGINEERS BOARD SWORN IN PROMISES TO INCREASE NUMBER OF REGISTERED ENGINEERS

By Special Correspondent The new  eight member Engineers Registration Board  (ERB) led  Eng. Dr. Isaac Mutenyo has been sworn at a ceremony presided over by State Minister for Works Dr. Peter Teko Lokeris . Other members of the Board  who took the oath of office and secrecy administered by High Court Registrar, Mr. Allan Gakyaro included Eng. G. Bwanga, Eng .Dr. F.L.Kyimba, Eng .Soma Ayub, Eng.E.Bahanda, Eng. J. Timewise , Eng .Dr.E Wozei and Eng R.Namugera who will be the registrar . Dr. Mutenyo  pledged to increase the number of registered qualified and competent Engineers in a concerted effort to weed out quacks in the profession of engineering . Many engineers are not registered due to what they say are prohibitive requirements and a laborious process to get onto the roll. However, Mutenyo said he understood the pains of his un-registered professional colleagues and pledged to review the processes with a view of encouraging the registration of  as many qualified engineers as possible. The same Dr. Mutenyo is hailed for having paved way for an increase  in the registration of engineers when he served as the President of the engineers professional body .   One of Uganda s finest engineers, Dr. Mutenyo is the Coordinator of a government’s Uganda Support to Municipality Inf structure Development  (USMID ) Project that has transformed 14 municipalities in terms of instructed development. Many of the 14 pioneer municipalities that have benefited from the project have  since been elevated to City status and the project is now in its second phase covering some 30 municipalities and refueege hostiting districts. Sources within the Engineering profession said many engineers are happy with the new appointments . “ We trust that Eng. Dr. Mutenyo will do a good job as  the new  Chairman of the new board since he has previously served as a leader within the profession and the work he is doing at USMID makes all of us proud ,” a senior engineer interviewed by Ugandaupdatenews.com publication  stated . Currently there are only 1,227 registered engineers. Mutenyo also promised to fast track the enactment of the Conustruction Industry and Regulation Developent Bill , to streamline standards and safety in the construction  industry. The Uganda Engineers Registration Board (ERB) was established by the Engineers Registration Act, Cap.271 in 1969 , quiet an old law which needs to be reformed and brought in line with the recently enacted Local Content Participation law , according to Mr. Gakyaro. The functions of the Board are to regulate and control engineers and their activities within Uganda and advice government accordingly . Minister Dr. Lokeris thanked the outgoing Board Chairman , Dr. Michael M. Odongo for successful completion of their 2 year term during which they registered 170 engineers  and marked ERB 50 year anniversary celebrations. He urged the new Board to urgently address the rampant cases of collapsing structures and shoddy works which are widespread in the construction industry and eliminate quack engineers all-over the country among others. Dr. Lokeris said that new Board should ensure greater visibility of the profession in all spheres of planning and development of the country .He further guided that the new Board should also consider embracing and accommodate  the new  emerging engineering disciplines such as chemical , petroleum and computer engineering to steer the transformation agenda of  Uganda.

By Special Correspondent

The new  eight member Engineers Registration Board led  Eng. Dr. Isaac Mutenyo has been sworn at a ceremony presided over by State Minister for Works Dr. pter Teko Lokeris . Other members of the Board  who took the oath of office and secrecy administred by High court registrar Allan Gakyaro included Eng. G. Bwanga, Eng .Dr. F.L.Kyimba, Eng .Soma Ayub, Eng.E.Bahanda, Eng. J. Timewise , Eng .Dr.E Wozei and Eng R.Namugera who will be the registrar . Dr. Mutenyo  pledged to increase the number of registered qualified and comptent Engineers in a concerted effort to weed out quacks in the profession of engineering . Many engineers are not registered due to what they say are prohibitive requirements and a laborious process to get onto the roll. However, Mutenyo said he understood the pains of his unregisteredprofessional colleagues and pledged to review the processes with a view of encouraging the registration of  as many qualified engineers as possible. The same Dr. Mutenyo is hailed for having paved way for an increase  in the registration of engineers when he served as the President of the engineers professional body .   one of Uganda s finest engineers, Dr. Mutenyo is the Coordinator of a government’s Uganda Suport to Municiparity Infstructure Development  (USMID ) Project that has transformed 14 municipalities in terms of instrastructe developemt. Many of the 14 pioneer municialities that have benefited from the project have  since been elevated to City status and the project is now in its second phase covering some 30 municipalities and refueege hostiting districts. Sources within the Engineering profession said many engineers are happy with the new appointments . “ We trust that Eng. Dr. Mutenyo will do a good job as  the new Chairman of the new board since he has previously served as a leader within the profession and the work he is doing at USMID makes all of us proud ,” a senior engineer interviewed by Ugandaupdatenews.com publication stated . Currently there are only 1,227 registered engineers. Mutenyo also promised to fast track the enactment of the Conustruction Industry and Regulation Developent Bill , to streamline standards and safety in the construction  industry. The Uganda Engineers Registration Board (ERB) was established by the Engineers Registration Act, Cap.271 in 1969 , quiet an old law which needs to be reformed and brought in line with the recently enacted Local Content Participation law , according to Mr. Gakyaro. The functions of the Board are to regulate and control engineers and their activities within Uganda and advice government accordingly . Minister Dr. Lokeris thanked the outgoing Board Chairman , Dr. Michael M. Odongo for successful completion of their 2 year term during which they registered 170 engineers  and marked ERB 50 year anniversary celebrations. He urged the new Board to urgently address the rampant cases of collapsing structures and shoddy works which are widespread in the construction industry and eliminate quack engineers all-over the country among others. Dr. Lokeris said that new Board should ensure greater visibility of the profession in all spheres of planning and development of the country .He further guided that the new Board should also consider embracing and accommodate  the new  emerging engineering disciplines such as chemical , petroleum and computer engineering to steer the transformation agenda of  Uganda.