By Spy Uganda
Kampala — On Friday, September 12, 2025, Her Worship Harriet Nalukwago Ssali, the Registrar Special Duties presided over the swearing-in ceremony of new members of the 20th Surveyors Registration Board (SRB) and the 14th Architects Registration Board (ARB) at Crested Towers, Kampala.
The event, attended by stakeholders in Uganda’s land and construction sectors, marked the end of a year-long leadership vacuum after the tenure of the previous SRB expired in 2024.
The ceremony was witnessed by Ms. Dorcus W. Okalany, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, who represented the line minister, Hon. Judith Nabakooba, currently away on official duties.
Reading Nabakooba’s speech, PS Okalany emphasized government’s commitment to strengthening professional regulation in surveying and architecture.
“Surveyors play a critical role in land administration by ensuring tenure security through surveying and mapping of land parcels. Likewise, architects shape the built environment by ensuring safe, sustainable and innovative designs. These two boards are the custodians of professionalism, and their guidance to government will be central to our development agenda,” Nabakooba’s letter read.
Okalany added her own voice, urging the new boards to raise the bar of professional integrity:
“You have inherited not just offices, but the hopes of a nation. Your decisions will determine whether land conflicts are minimized, whether cities grow sustainably, and whether Uganda builds with vision.”
Mandates of the Boards
The Surveyors Registration Board (SRB), under the Surveyors Registration Act, Cap 303, regulates and controls the activities of surveyors in Uganda. Its roles include:
- Registering and disciplining professional surveyors.
- Advising government on surveying and land administration.
- Promoting continuous professional training.
- Pursuing mutual agreements with regional and global professional bodies.
The Architects Registration Board (ARB), under the Architects Registration Act, Cap 297, oversees the practice of architecture in Uganda. Its mandate includes:
- Registering and regulating architects.
- Enforcing professional standards and ethics.
- Promoting architectural training and research.
- Ensuring quality and safety in building design and construction.
Profiles of the New Board Members of
Surveyors Registration Board (20th SRB)
- Dr. Ronald Ssengendo – Chairperson
Senior Lecturer at Makerere University, expert in land surveying, geodesy, and geoinformatics, with over 20 years’ regional experience. - Ms. Elizabeth Natukunda Mwebesa – Vice Chairperson
Director at ENM & Associates, Chartered Surveyor, and award-winning professional in project management and real estate. - Mr. Gilbert Kermundu – Chief Government Valuer, Ministry of Lands, with 30+ years in valuation and land administration.
- Ms. Dorothy Natukunda – Principal Government Valuer, Chartered Surveyor, chairs RICS East Africa Regional Advisory Board.
- Mr. Kakaire Ali – Managing Partner, Windmill Surveyors and Valuers, with 16 years’ valuation experience.
- Ms. Tumuheirwe Evas Bwoye – Senior Manager GIS & Surveys, NWSC, with 24 years in mapping and geospatial sciences.
- Mr. Duncan Tayebwa – Acting Assistant Commissioner, Quantity Surveying, Ministry of Works, with 18 years in infrastructure projects.
- Ms. Dorah Atia Ongaria – Managing Partner, Synad Associates, with 19 years’ valuation practice.
- Mr. Samuel Eric Bayo – Director, Sigma Immobile, a Fellow of ISU, with over 20 years in construction and quantity surveying.
Architects Registration Board Members (14th ARB)
- Arch. Jacqueline Namayanja – Registered Architect, President of the Uganda Society of Architects, from Buganda region.
- Arch. Mark Bwambale – Partner at Regenesys, focused on sustainable architecture, from Western Uganda.
- Arch. Verna Mbabazi Mwinganisa – Holds Masters in Architecture and MBA, with international training from Belgium and UK, from Western Uganda.
- Arch. Shem Sebbowa – Architect at dARC Group Ltd, trained in Oslo and Makerere, from Buganda region.
In her concluding remarks, PS Okalany reiterated Nabakooba’s call for professionalism:
“The boards must not only regulate but inspire excellence. Uganda’s rapid urbanization and land pressures demand forward-thinking leadership from professionals in surveying and architecture.”
The newly sworn-in members pledged to uphold integrity, strengthen capacity, and enhance regional and international partnerships to elevate Uganda’s professional standards.
With the two boards now in place, the country anticipates smoother land administration, safer construction practices, and stronger guidance to government on infrastructure and housing development.
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