Parliament Committee Recommends Removal of UNBS Council Chair Over Unregistered 'Eng' Title

Parliament’s Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industry has urged the Minister of Trade to take action against James K. Kalibbala, the current Chairperson of the National Standards Council (NSC). The committee’s recommendation stems from concerns over Kalibbala’s use of the professional engineering title “Eng” without being registered under the relevant Act.

The committee highlighted that the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers (UIPE) confirmed Kalibbala is not a registered engineer. This has led to questions about his integrity and suitability to lead the NSC, an body overseeing the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS).

According to the committee’s report, Kalibbala has used the “Eng” prefix for approximately 34 years, a practice that contravenes Section 28 of the Engineers Registration Act. This law strictly permits the use of the title “Registered Engineer” and the prefix “Eng” only for individuals whose names are officially listed in the engineers’ register.

The committee pointed to official documents, including a memorandum dated October 15, 2025, bearing the name “Eng. James K. Kalibbala,” as evidence. They emphasized that the leader of a public institution responsible for national standards must possess unquestionable integrity and be a fit and proper person for the role.

While noting the absence of specific qualification requirements for the NSC chairperson and members in the UNBS Act, the committee believes Kalibbala’s actions warrant his removal. They suggested the Trade Minister invoke Section 5(2)(d) of the UNBS Act to initiate removal proceedings on grounds of unfitness for office, stressing that Kalibbala must be afforded the right to be heard before any final decision is made.

Source: Nile Post