Uganda President Yoweri Museveni has directed government agencies to audit buildings nationwide and strengthen construction standards to improve the country's preparedness for earthquakes.
Citing Uganda's location along three fault lines and lessons from past seismic events, the President said stricter building regulations are necessary to reduce the risk of future disasters and protect lives.
In Executive Order No. 1 of 2023, issued on Tuesday, Museveni highlighted that Uganda's vulnerability to earthquakes has been known for decades, but government institutions have been slow to implement measures aimed at reducing the risks posed by seismic activity.
Museveni said Uganda lies along three major fault lines and recalled that concerns about the country's exposure were first raised during a conference in Kampala in 1997.
"Professor Shah pointed out that Uganda has three fault lines – one running along the River Aswa, the other around River Katonga, and the other along the Rift Valley. Immediately, I informed the relevant Government bodies to incorporate this information in their planning. Especially for the Ministry of Works in relation to building standards, it is a crucial matter."
The Ugandan Head of State also cited previous earthquakes, including the 1994 Kisomoro earthquake in the Rwenzori region and the 1966 earthquake that damaged the Tooro Kingdom Palace, saying they demonstrated the importance of resilient infrastructure.
"The earthquake of 1966 caused cracks in the Palace of the King of Tooro, but the Virika Cathedral, which had been deliberately designed to withstand earthquakes of nine points on the Richter Scale, survived the 1994 Kisomoro earthquake. Proof that deliberately designed buildings can withstand earthquake by any magnitude."
Museveni's directive comes as earthquakes continue to rank among the world's deadliest natural disasters.
Asia has borne the heaviest toll due to its dense populations and location along major tectonic plate boundaries, with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake claiming about 228,000 lives and the 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquakes killing more than 62,000 people.
Across Europe, countries including Italy and Greece have strengthened seismic building standards following repeated earthquakes, while Africa's East African Rift System continues to expose nations such as Uganda and Kenya to recurring seismic activity.
The latest major disaster struck Venezuela, where twin earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude have killed more than 1,700 people, injured over 5,000, displaced thousands and triggered a large international rescue effort.
Survivors continue to be pulled alive from collapsed buildings, including a 21-year-old rescued after 106 hours beneath the rubble, while hospitals struggle to treat thousands of casualties.
In East Africa, Kenya experiences frequent low-to-moderate earthquakes, mainly along the Rift Valley, though recent tremors have caused limited damage.
Uganda's most destructive modern earthquake remains the 1966 Toro earthquake (6.6 magnitude), which killed 157 people, while the 1994 Kisomoro earthquake (6.2) caused significant structural damage but relatively few fatalities.
Governments worldwide are responding through stricter building codes, earthquake-resistant infrastructure, early warning systems, satellite monitoring and international search-and-rescue cooperation.
Countries including Japan have demonstrated that stronger construction standards and preparedness can dramatically reduce earthquake-related deaths despite frequent seismic activity
Moving on, a further earthquake affecting the Katonga Valley and neighbouring Tanzania in 2016 prompted Museveni to renew his directives on earthquake preparedness.
Under the executive order, civil engineers from the Ministries of Works and Transport, Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Local Government, Kampala Capital City Authority and other local governments have been instructed to inspect permanent buildings within two years.
"The Civil Engineers are to, within two years from now, audit and document all the permanent buildings in their respective areas of jurisdiction as to their strength in case of earthquake. They should, in particular, audit the high-rise buildings."
The President also directed engineers and public universities to establish minimum earthquake-resistant building standards within one year and consult international experts, including those from Japan.
"Once the State Civil Engineers have determined for us the minimum standards of building, no permanent building should be built anywhere in Uganda that does not conform to those building standards."
Museveni further ordered experts to recommend how structurally weak buildings can be reinforced rather than demolished where possible.
Reflecting on traditional architecture, he noted that although traditional huts had several disadvantages, they were often less vulnerable to collapse during earthquakes because of their simple construction.
The President cocnluded that Uganda should learn from both modern engineering and indigenous knowledge to reduce disaster risks, stressing that the country must avoid tragedies similar to the devastating earthquakes witnessed in Turkey and Syria.