The government has tabled the Engineering Professionals Bill, 2024 in which it is seeking to regulate and impose Code of Conduct for both Engineers and Technologists in Uganda, with a proposed jail term for 2 years or fine of Shs1 Million or both, for anyone who passes off as an Engineer or Technologist, or practices without a valid license.
The Bill was tabled during a Parliamentary sitting held in Gulu city chaired by Speaker Anita Among.
The Minister of State for Works, Musa Ecweru defended the enactment of the law noting that The Engineers Registration Act Cap. 271, regulates aspects of engineers only, and does not provide for the regulation of the other engineering professionals including the technologists and technicians.
“The Act provides for registration but does not provide for licensing of the engineering professionals. The Act does not provide for a code of ethics or any mechanism for inquiry into the conduct of an engineering professional who contravenes the code of ethics. There is therefore need to regulate the technologists and engineers who are the other cadres of engineering professionals aside from engineers, to provide for the licensing of the engineering professionals and provide for a code of ethics for the engineering professionals and a mechanism for inquiry into the conduct of an engineering professional who contravenes the code of ethics,” read part of the Bill.
In clause 44 of The Engineering Professionals Bill, Government has proposed a number of offences and penalties, and is seeking Parliament to bar any person from; (a) fraudulently making, or causing or permitting to make, any false or incorrect entry in the register or any copy of it; (b) fraudulently procuring or attempting to procure himself or herself for any other person to be registered under this Act, to have anyone who commits any of these offence to be held liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding fifty currency points (Shs1 million) or imprisonment not exceeding two years or both.
Government further proposed to have the above penalty imposed on acts where one (c) qualifies for registration under section 22,23 and24, but fails or neglects to register in accordance with the sections; (d) practices or attempts to practice as a registered engineer, registered technologist or registered technician without holding a valid annual license; or (e) knowingly and willfully makes any statement which is false in a material particular, or which is misleading, with a view to gaining any advantage, concession or privilege under this Act whether for himself or herself or for any other person.
Further in clause 44(2) the Ministry of Works has proposed that where a person who commits an offence under subsection (1) is a body corporate, every person who, at the time of the commission of the offence, was a director or officer of the body corporate may be charged jointly, in the same proceedings with the body corporate, and where the body corporate is convicted of that offence, every director or officer shall be deemed to have committed the same offence unless he or she proves that the offence was committed without his or her knowledge or that he or she exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of the offence.
