The Uganda Architects Registration Board (ARB) has expressed concern over the growing number of foreign architects practicing in Uganda without professional registration. According to Mirriam Lawino, Chairperson of the ARB, some foreign professionals are registering businesses or consultancy entities with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) and subsequently offering architectural services without obtaining the required registration and practicing authorization. This has exposed a regulatory gap that the Board wants to close through new rules.
The concern comes as Uganda marks 60 years of the Uganda Society of Architects and 30 years of the Architects Registration Board. The regulation of architectural practice is under renewed scrutiny as the country expands its cities, housing stock, and infrastructure. The Uganda Society of Architects was formed in 1966, when the Uganda chapter of the East African Institute of Architects was reorganized into a national professional body. The ARB has reached an understanding with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that foreign architects intending to practice in Uganda should apply to the ARB for temporary registration.
However, some foreign architects are instead registering as consultants through URSB and proceeding to establish offices and undertake architectural work. Lawino said that the Board is developing a practice note specifically addressing the regulation and practice of foreign architects. The proposed approach could provide greater clarity over how foreign professionals are vetted, the projects for which they are authorized, the Ugandan professionals with whom they must work, and the period for which their temporary registration remains valid.
Uganda's legal framework does not prohibit foreign architects from undertaking work in the country. The Architects Registration Act, Chapter 297, provides specifically for temporary registration. Under Section 11, a person who is not ordinarily resident in Uganda but is professionally qualified and comes to the country for specific architectural work may be temporarily registered by the Board for the duration of that work, subject to statutory conditions. The provision also requires such a person to work with a registered architect.
The ARB is urging the public to report individuals who falsely present themselves as architects, particularly those advertising architectural services on social media without being known to the regulator. A person who is not registered but presents themselves as an architect or otherwise holds themselves out as professionally qualified may face a fine or imprisonment under Section 33. The Board is also preparing to review the Architects Registration Act of 1996, arguing that the profession has changed significantly in the three decades since the legislation came into force.
The current law establishes ARB, giving it responsibility for regulating architectural standards, registering architects, making by-laws, regulating professional conduct, and promoting architectural education. The Board has begun the process of reviewing the legislation, with initial consultations already held in May. The Board's argument is that the framework has not undergone the substantive modernization required to respond to contemporary professional practice. Among the emerging issues are regulation of architectural technicians, landscape architecture, interior design, and other allied areas of the built environment.
The Board is also considering a tiered professional structure covering categories such as technicians, senior technicians, graduate members, and registered architects. Additionally, the Board intends to introduce QR codes on architectural drawings submitted to local authorities, allowing officials to scan a drawing and identify the architect responsible for it. This proposal could connect professional regulation more closely with building-control enforcement and create a digital trail of responsibility. The Board is also seeking a stronger professional presence outside Kampala, with architects encouraged to take up opportunities to serve on building committees and building-control structures in local governments.
Key points
- The Uganda Architects Registration Board is developing new rules to regulate foreign architects practicing in the country.
- The Board is also reviewing the Architects Registration Act of 1996 to respond to contemporary professional practice.
- A proposed digitization of professional verification, including QR codes on architectural drawings, aims to address disciplinary cases and connect professional regulation with building-control enforcement.
