NBRB EXPLOSION! Billions Idle, Projects Stalled, Systems Broken— Building Watchdog Boss Bwire, Chairman Male Under Fire
A massive governance storm has erupted at the National Building Review Board, exposing an institution that was created to protect Ugandans from dangerous buildings but is now itself drowning in a sea of inefficiency, stalled projects, unspent billions and explosive internal allegations.
At the centre of this unfolding scandal sits Board Chairperson Emmanuel Male, Executive Secretary Eng. Flavia Bwire, and their political supervisor Gen. Katumba Wamala, the Minister of Works and Transport. The trio now finds itself under intense scrutiny following the Auditor General’s December 2025 report, which lays bare a shocking pattern of underperformance and systemic failure—backed by a chilling whistleblower dossier that paints an even darker picture of what insiders say is a deeply broken institution.
The Auditor General’s findings alone are damning. Out of UGX 31.815 billion warranted to the Board, only UGX 12.841 billion was spent, leaving a staggering UGX 18.974 billion lying idle. Part of this amount includes UGX 1.929 billion recovered as an advance payment guarantee after the termination of an MoU with NHCCL, while the rest relates to land that was never procured for the construction of a National Building Research Centre. In a country battling rising cases of unsafe structures and building collapses, the failure to utilize such funds is raising serious alarm about leadership priorities.
Procurement performance reveals even deeper cracks. The Board had planned 26 procurements worth UGX 25.092 billion, yet only 24 procurements worth UGX 3.322 billion were awarded. Out of those, just 11 contracts valued at UGX 684 million were fully completed, translating into a dismal 21 percent completion rate. Meanwhile, five major procurements worth UGX 21.672 billion were not awarded at all, leaving critical development plans hanging in uncertainty.
In blatant breach of procurement laws, two procurements totaling UGX 70.3 million were split and processed separately in violation of Regulation 10 of the PPDA Rules and Methods Regulations, 2023. At the same time, the Board completely ignored the reservation scheme, failing to allocate any procurement opportunities to women, youth or persons with disabilities, contrary to national guidelines.
Even where money has been spent, the results remain invisible. A mobile laboratory worth UGX 1.055 billion, procured in June 2025, had not been deployed by September, sitting idle while the very building safety issues it was meant to address continue to threaten lives. The Strategic Plan is also in tatters, with only UGX 47.664 billion released out of the required UGX 127.44 billion, leaving a massive funding gap of UGX 79.77 billion.
The consequences are evident. Only 58 percent of Local Governments have functional Building Committees, just 26 percent of these committees were audited, no regional offices have been established, induction activities reached only 43 percent of their target, staffing stands at a worrying 46 percent, and even a basic Client Charter does not exist. The institution mandated to regulate building standards appears unable to meet its own operational standards.
WHISTLE-BLOWER REPORT
But if the Auditor General’s report exposes the cracks, the whistleblower dossier blows the lid clean off.
According to the explosive report, “everything is a mess at NBRB,” with allegations that key oversight agencies like IGG, SHACU and even the Auditor General had shown little appetite to probe the situation or may have been compromised or intimidated. The dossier paints a picture of a toxic workplace where morale is low, staff are divided, and fear dominates operations.
At the heart of the allegations is the Executive Secretary, Eng. Flavia Bwire, accused of presiding over a system where procurement rules are routinely flouted and financial controls ignored. One of the most striking cases involves the procurement of stationery, where supplies worth Shs325 million were allegedly split into two procurements—Shs135,235,847 from Valu Valu Technocrats Limited and Shs188,800,000 from Kamage Enterprises Limited.
What makes this even more puzzling is that the Board reportedly had only 46 staff at the time, many without computers or printers to use the supplies. Despite this, bulk printing reportedly continue to be outsourced, raising questions about where the procured materials actually went. As if that was not enough, more stationery was purchased using office imprest and personal funds, and then charged back to the budget under field activities.
The procurement frenzy did not stop there. Additional batches of stationery and toner were purchased, including payments of Shs31,789,200 and Shs34,739,200 to Kamage Enterprises Limited, and Shs92,748,000 to Gulf Africa Ltd—all within days of the financial year closing. This happened despite the office reportedly having only three printers and no photocopier.
The dossier alleges that funds for these procurements were advanced directly into staff personal accounts, including Shs10.1 million reportedly sent to then an office assistant, Cleighton Kansiime. The whistleblower claims this method was used to bypass procurement procedures and divert funds, describing it as “gross abuse of the PPDA Act and mismanagement of government funds.”
Further allegations point to unlawful contract extensions granted to underperforming contractors. In one case, a contract worth Shs170,999,936 for ICT equipment was extended twice despite failure to deliver, allegedly without the required approval from the Accounting Officer. The whistleblower claims the Executive Secretary resisted termination to avoid funds being returned to the consolidated fund, suggesting a deliberate attempt to beat government financial controls.
Accountability gaps also emerge strongly. The report claims that despite the Board receiving over Shs15billion and holding 17 meetings since 2018, there is no clear record of how funds were disclosed or accounted for. In one instance, a supplementary budget of Shs748 million and another release of Shs1.49 billion were allegedly never disclosed to the Board, with funds hurriedly spent before the financial year closed.
Payments to various individuals and entities are also questioned, including Shs4.23 million to Brand Design, Shs28.48 million for a so-called workshop at Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel, and a staggering Shs50 million for fuel in just two weeks.
The whistleblower further alleges tax irregularities, claiming that certain allowances paid to the Executive Secretary were not taxed, leading to a financial loss of over UGX 23 million, in contravention of the Income Tax Act.
Recruitment practices at the Board are also under fire, with claims of favoritism, irregular appointments and individuals occupying positions outside the approved structure. The appointment of Asha Arinda then as Executive Assistant, despite not being part of the official structure, is highlighted, along with allegations that she draws salaries from both NBRB and the Ministry of Works and Transport while wielding significant influence across departments.
The report paints her as a central figure involved in multiple roles, from finance and procurement to investigations and fleet management, effectively sidelining professional staff. “She performs all board functions,” the whistleblower claims, adding that other staff were denied the opportunity to execute their duties.
The dossier goes further, alleging that staff who challenge management face intimidation, threats and changes in reporting lines. Access to the Executive Secretary is tightly controlled, with staff required to formally request appointments even for routine matters. General staff meetings are reportedly rare, with a “divide and rule” approach replacing structured engagement.
Recruitment has also sparked fear among staff, with allegations that positions are being used to remove perceived opponents and bring in allies, friends and associates of top bosses. Some employees reportedly lost their jobs under the guise of failing probation, while others saw their contracts selectively extended.
All these revelations come at a time when Uganda continues to grapple with building collapses and unsafe construction, issues the NBRB was specifically created to prevent. The institution’s mandate—to monitor building developments, enforce standards, and ensure safety for the public—is now overshadowed by internal chaos and operational failure.
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