SUPPORT THE RECONSTRUCTION OF MAKERERE UNIVERSITY MAIN BUILDING (IVORY TOWER)

BACKGROUND

In the early hours of September 20, 2020 many were shocked to read the messages from the social media platforms of Makerere University that the iconic building - the Main Building at the University as old as 79 years was on fire. A few messages:

“The Main Building – Ivory Tower has caught fire. The fire brigade is on ground. The Police Fire Brigade is trying to put out the fire which has now covered almost half of the roof. It’s a trying moment for us,” reads a post from the University social media pages.

“Everyone is trying their best. The fire is heavy and sprouting from the right side of the Building. The fire flames are heavy coming through right side of the roof which has sunk in. We all need to pray for the Ivory Tower,” the post reads further.

An aerial view of Makerere University Main Building within the surrounding environment. 

VICE CHANCELLOR’S STATEMENT ON THE FIRE OUTBREAK AT MAKERERE UNIVERSITY MAIN BUILDING.

 

In the morning of Sunday 20th September 2020, at around half past midnight, a Police Patrol team at Makerere University noticed smoke coming out of the roof of the Makerere University Main Administration Building. The patrol team alerted the Officer in charge (OC) Makerere Police Station, who had been deployed at Nateete Police Station for the night. The OC Makerere Police Station at the time was in the CCTV control room and he zoomed the CCTV cameras to the Main Building and indeed the cameras could show that there was smoke coming out of the building. The OC Station alerted the Makerere University Chief Security Officer who rushed to the Mani Building immediately and arrived at the building about 12:47 am. He first saw smoke coming out of the roof above the offices of the Public Relations Department and soon after fire started coming out of the roof. He immediately alerted the control room to request the Fire Brigade to rush to the scene. The Chief Security Officer also alerted the Vice Chancellor and Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor, who both rushed to the scene. The Fire Brigade arrived at the scene at 1:10 am initially with 2 fire engines which did not have the capacity to jet water to the roof of the building. After about 30 minutes more fire engines with better capacity arrived, but by this time the fire had spread through a big part of the roof. The Fire Brigade managed to subdue the fire at around 4:00 am., but after the entire roof of the building had collapsed and the entire top floor of the building and the entire Finance Department had been burnt. The fire engines experienced a challenge with lack of a fire hydrant within and in the vicinity of the University and had to fetch water from the hydrants at the Fire Brigade Headquarters.

When it appeared to the Fire Brigade that the fire had been completely extinguished, despite smoke still coming off from the Central Registry, they left the site. Unfortunately, fire again broke out in the Council Room at 8:00 pm but the Fire Brigade arrived within 15 minutes and put out the fire within one hour. The Fire Brigade has been on standby on site, fighting small fires throughout the night.

The Main Administration Building is 79 years old, having been completed in 1941. It is an iconic building and is the symbol of higher education in Uganda and the entire East and Central African Region.

The building housed the offices of the Vice Chancellor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration, the University Secretary, The University Bursar, the Directorate of Human Resources, the Directorate of Internal Audit, the Public Relations Office and the Council Room. The Printery, which is located in the basement of the building was not affected. The building had been fitted with fire extinguishers for firefighting but these became unusable since the fire started from the roof. Being an old building, it had not been fitted with fire alarms and water sprinklers.

The Main Building is guarded by the University’s security services and the Uganda Police. At the time of the fire outbreak, the officers on duty were inside the building near the entrance and they apparently did not notice the problem until they were alerted by the Chief Security Officer. Those officers are now under Police custody. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The Criminal Investigations Directorate and the Directorate of Forensic Services of the Uganda Police have commenced investigations. Security on main campus has been strengthened.

Practically all the documents in the Directorates of Finance, Human Resource, including the Central Registry, and the Directorate of Internal Audit were destroyed. Fortunately, all hard copies of the financial documents for previous financial years had been moved to the archive, which was not affected by the fire. Similarly all old files in the Central Registry had been moved to the archives. Information of the staff in service has been digitalized and is safely kept on servers, which are not in the Main Building.

 HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MAKERERE UNIVERSITY

Makerere University is due to celebrate 100 years of its existence in 2022. On the 4th of August 1922 Makerere College was born out of a Vocational School called Uganda Technical College, which had previously opened its doors to 14 day students studying Carpentry, Building and Mechanics. The College was later to grow into Makerere University, the oldest and premier University in East Africa and one of the most prestigious universities in the world today. The Webometric ranking of Universities worldwide in July 2012 listed Makerere as the eleventh best university in Africa and the University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) Centre Turkey ranks Makerere 8th best in Africa. The University’s star continues to shine.

 

Makerere University boasts of having nurtured the most renowned leaders in Africa and globally, including Mwalimu Julius Nyerere the founder President of Tanzania, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga who led the independence struggle in Kenya, Sir Edward Mutesa the first President of Uganda, Milton Obote former President of Uganda, Mwai Kibaki the President of Kenya, Benjamin Mkapa former President of Tanzania, President Joseph Kabila of Democratic Republic of Congo, and President Yoweri Museveni who joined Makerere’s distinguished alumni when he recently received an honorary Doctorate.

The list of its renowned alumni includes Vice Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, top scientists, leading writers, judges, Central Bank Governors, Cardinals and Archbishops, United Nation Diplomats and Ambassadors to mention some.

Moreover, as the mother of all universities in Eastern and Central Africa, Makerere University and its alumni also gave birth to the independent nations of East Africa. They have been at the forefront of the anti-colonial and independence struggles in Eastern Africa. This is especially memorable as East African countries celebrate their independence Golden Jubilee: Tanzania 1961-2011, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda 1962-2012, and Kenya 1963-2013.

MAKERERE UNIVERSITY IN DRIVE TO RESTORE THE ICONIC MAIN BUILDING

 

Makerere University has launched a fundraiser to help restore its administration building -The Main Building popularly known as ‘The Ivory Tower’ in the wake of fire that ravaged the iconic building, leaving scores lost.

Several office equipment and other valuable information was damaged during the Sunday 20th September 2020 night fire. The fire broke out at the Main Building — Ivory Tower — at Makerere University at 1:05am, according to Uganda Police.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe has invited friends of Makerere and alumni to work together to rebuild the structure.

He cites that the main building is a very strong symbol for higher education, not only for just in Uganda but in East and Central Africa.

“It is a building that is known and respected all over the world and there has been an outpouring of grief messages from all over the world due to the burning of the building with messages of solidarity and some with pledges that our friends around the world will help us to restore the building,” he said.

 

PROFESSOR NAWANGWE THE VICE CHANCELLOR SAYS THAT, "THE UNIVERSITY WILL NEED UP TO USD 5,714,285.7 TO RESTORE THE MAIN BUILDING".

Unveiling the official contribution channels for support towards the restoration of Iconic Main Administration Building the Vice Chancellor appealed to all well - wishers to make contributions through:

STANBIC BANK – UGANDA

SWIFT CODE FOR STANBIC BANK UGANDA: SBICUGKXXXX

ACCOUNT NUMBERS: 1. 9030017778608 (USD)

                                2. 9030017778535 (UGX)

In case of any clarifications or advice to the University that you
remitted some funds, you can please contact:

 

Dr. Umar Kakumba

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)
Emails: dvcaa@mak.ac.ug
Or: umar.kakumba@gmail.com

 

FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT MAKERERE UNIVERSITY

https://www.mak.ac.ug/about-makerere/facts-and-figures

 

 

 

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