Kitgum Municipal Council has commenced operations of its newly constructed engineering materials laboratory, a move officials say will strengthen quality control in the district’s growing construction sector.
The laboratory, built under the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) additional financing, at a cost of 600 million in 2024, is designed to test construction materials including concrete, bricks, sand and aggregates.
Kitgum Municipal Engineer James Bonn Olinga says the facility is fully equipped and has already begun conducting tests, although staffing arrangements are still being finalized.
Among the more that 200 equipment available at the lab are concrete crusher, oven, compactor, California Bearing Ratio, electrical design guage, mortars, and sieves.
To address the staffing gap, the municipality sponsored a staff member, for specialized training in material testing.
The staff has been undergoing phased industrial training in material testing at Lira and recently finalized practical sessions at the Ministry of Works and Transport’s central laboratory.
By URN
Leave a Reply