Janet Museveni Lays Foundation Stone of Makerere University Main Building

First Lady and Education minister Janet Museveni has this afternoon visited Makerere University where she laid two foundation stones, one for the reconstruction and restoration of the iconic Main Building and another building at the School of Law.

The main administration building was gutted by fire in September 2020.

Upon completion, the School of Law building will sit on 2,518m² with paved walkways, greenery, a generator and refuse point, and ample parking areas. The ground floor of the building will have a lounge, moot courtroom, cafeteria, lactation room, a judge’s Ante Room, and registry seminar rooms.

Staff offices and a server room on the first floor and administrative offices on the second floor. It is currently at 74% completion of the first phase of construction.

The reconstruction and restoration of the main administration building is currently still undergoing preliminaries and demolitions.

Once completed, it is expected to have, at the basement floor level; offices, Museum, gallery, and stores, an Exhibit Preparation room, Archives, Central Stores, Access Staircases, Lifts, Souvenir shops, Power Room.

The ground and first floor will have offices, meeting and press rooms and waiting areas whereas the second floor will have the council room and board room.

Minister Janet Museveni also officially opened the Central Teaching Facilities I & II and the School of Dentistry building which occupy 12,467m² and have paved walkways, greenery, and ample parking areas.

CTF1, located next to the College of Humanities & Social Sciences, has grand foyers on all its four floors with various offices and lecture rooms on the first two floors and administrative offices of the Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University Secretary, University Bursar, board rooms and an E-Learning center on the third and fourth floors. 

CTF2 is located next to the College of Business and Management Sciences and has a 1000 seater auditorium, Administrative Offices of Deans of School and study rooms.

The Department of Dentistry, under the College of Health Sciences (CHS), has a facility with a built-up area of 840m² with a plant/machine room in the lower basement, dental studios/clinics, recovery rooms, storage and staff offices on the ground floor and lecture rooms, staff offices, student locker spaces, triage, toilets and x-ray room on the 1^st first level with a staircase and access ramp for the persons with disability.

Externally the access to the new building has paved walkways with canopy and green seating areas

Janet Museveni, who last visited the university in September 2020, when the Main Building had just been gutted by fire, was elated to note that she now returns on a happy note to lay a foundation stone for the reconstruction of the Main Building.

The Education Minister applauded the Council and the management team led by the university vice-chancellor Prof Barnabs Nawangwe for being good stewards of the infrastructure entrusted to them. 

Lorna Magara, the Chairperson of the Makerere University Council, said Janet played a key role in the construction of the Dental Hospital which has enabled the institution’s dental program to gain clearance from regional accreditation bodies.

Prof. Nawangwe thanked the minister for her untiring efforts in making Makerere a world-class university.

He noted that these infrastructure projects cost more than Shs60 billion. Speaking on behalf of the Makerere@100 Organizing Committee, Dan Fred Kidega, the Deputy Chairperson of the University Council, hailed the minister for leading the $300 million negotiations for the construction of the university teaching hospital

The teaching hospital is part of the legacy projects earmarked as part of the activities to commemorate Makerere’s 100 years of existence.

The Education Minister is expected to return to Makerere University together with President Yoweri Museveni on Monday, May 23 at the 72nd Graduation Ceremony.