NEC Takes Over Shs12b Renovation Of Makerere's CCE Hall

Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe on June 26, 2026 handed over the CCE Complex Hall of Residence to the National Enterprise Corporation for renovation.

The Shs12 billion project is funded by the Government of Uganda. It will be handled by NEC and is expected to take one year.

NEC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Lt Gen James Mugira received the site on behalf of the corporation.

The CCE project becomes the fourth Makerere project undertaken by NEC. The others include the university perimeter wall, Lumumba Hall and Mary Stuart Hall.

Prof Nawangwe praised NEC for the quality of its previous work at the university.

“The quality of work done by NEC makes us proud because we can finally say that we have Ugandans who can do the things, which we previously depended on foreigners to do,” he said.

He thanked the Government of Uganda for funding the works. He also thanked the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, whose visit helped trigger the renovation programme.

Prof Nawangwe said many members of the contractor and project management teams studied at Makerere. He said their work had saved taxpayers billions of shillings.

“Thank you for being patriotic,” he said.

He said CCE Hall sits in a key place at the university and gives visitors a first impression of Makerere. He urged NEC to deliver work that would surpass the renovated Mary Stuart Hall.

Lt Gen Mugira said the project had personal meaning to him. He recalled attending his first lectures at Hall 1 of the CCE Complex nearly 42 years ago.

“My wife was a resident, and so I have every motivation to put in a lot of effort and make sure that I deliver more than was done with Mary Stuart and Lumumba,” he said.

He thanked Makerere for trusting NEC with another project.

“Trust is earned through performance, through integrity and consistency, and your decision to engage us motivates us to work even harder to exceed your expectations,” he said.

Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Prof Henry Alinaitwe urged NEC to observe cost, quality, specifications and safety standards.

“NEC has already demonstrated this, and that is why we have all the confidence that you can deliver this project within 12 months,” Prof Alinaitwe said.

He also praised the project management team led by Arch Dr Kenneth Ssemwogerere for helping Makerere complete previous projects on time.

Prof Alinaitwe said Dr Ssemwogerere had been promoted to Associate Professor on June 25, 2026. He linked the promotion to his record as head of the project management team.

College of Education and External Studies Principal Prof Anthony Mugagga said the renovations would affect his unit, but welcomed the project.

He said the renovation of Lumumba and Mary Stuart halls had drawn many alumni back to Makerere. He said the CCE Complex could also attract former residents and education professionals to support the university or build new partnerships.

Dean of Students Dr Winifred Kabumbuli said the renovation of halls showed the government’s commitment to student welfare.

She said better accommodation would help create a good environment for students and prepare them to contribute to national development.

She pledged support from her office and student leaders to ensure students use the renovated facilities responsibly.

The 92nd Guild President, Kadondi Gracious, said the CCE renovation would improve student welfare.

“The female students will be very excited but the male students will be left complaining – so we shall be expecting more renovations, not just for the female but also the male students,” she said.