Regulatory mandate, professional ethics and sustainable housing construction in Uganda: a case of Kampala district.

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between regulatory mandate and sustainable housing construction in Kampala district, with professional ethics as moderating factor. The study was guided by two objectives; to establish the relationship between regulatory mandate and sustainable housing construction in Kampala and to evaluate the moderating role of the professional ethics on the relationship between regulatory mandate and sustainable housing construction in Kampala. A descriptive and associative causal study design with probability stratified sampling approach was employed to select 256 respondents from the construction stakeholders. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analyzed quantitatively using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20. The findings of the study indicate that regulatory mandate (r=0.70, p=0.00), building standards (r=0.60, p=0.00), monitoring (r=0.59, p=0.00) and Enforcement (r=0.66, p=0.00) are strongly and positively correlated with sustainable housing construction. Conversely, professional ethics (r=0.035, p=0.156) was found to have no moderating effect on the relationship between regulatory mandate and sustainable housing construction. The findings further show that there are common challenges of housing sustainable construction in Kampala district. These included; lack of knowledge of general regulatory standards, procedural delays in obtaining relevant construction permits, and use of unqualified professionals (quack engineers) in housing construction projects. Therefore, to promote sustainable housing construction, it is recommended that; regulators should prioritize building regulation enforcement, improving collaboration between regulators and key construction stakeholders, foster the involvement of professionals in all construction stages, as well as shortening approval times of construction permits especially through digitalization. The findings of the study are relevant to policy makers for policy review, formulation and implementation. The various stakeholders can use these findings to ameliorate the construction sector from the current state. In effect, this study benefits regulators, policy makers, clients, professional bodies and academicians.