Uganda’s Makerere University’s main administration block, the “Ivory Tower” will be restored back to its original “historic state” after it was gutted Sunday night.
“It is a very dark morning for Makerere University. Our iconic Main Administration Building caught fire and the destruction is unbelievable. But we are determined to restore the building to its historic state in the shortest time possible,” Vice-Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe tweeted.
It is a very dark morning for Makerere University. Our iconic Main Administration Building caught fire and the destruction is unbelievable. But we are determined to restore the building to its historic state in the shortest time possible.
— Barnabas Nawangwe (@ProfNawangwe) September 20, 2020
The Main Building – Ivory Tower has caught fire. The fire brigade is on ground. pic.twitter.com/RJwQzJ8Z08
— Makerere University (@Makerere) September 19, 2020
A historian of East Africa, Derek Peterson, said the fire was a disaster for Uganda and for East Africa.
“The building holds student records, and the basement is full of archive files spanning the whole history of the institution,” he tweeted
He said he had been intending to help organise a project to catalog the collection.
2/2
a project to organise & catalogue the collection; but the whole thing is now in flames.Here's a clip from the 1965 graduation @MakerereU, with Kaunda, Kenyatta, Nyerere & Obote in attendance (& with Yusuf Luule as VC).
This fire is a disaster for Uganda & for East Africa. pic.twitter.com/q5Kv64uNSL
— Derek R Peterson (@Unseen_Archive) September 20, 2020
Fortunately, the Vice-Chancellor said besides being a ‘very big tragedy’, “…ALL our records past and current; Human Resource, student, Academic, and financial records are ALL safely stored in digital form.”
The fire at our Main Building was a very big tragedy. However, I would like to assure all our alumni, staff, students, and General public that ALL our records past and current; Human Resource, student, Academic and financial records are ALL safely stored in digital form.
— Barnabas Nawangwe (@ProfNawangwe) September 20, 2020
The fire at Makerere University Main Building is a great tragedy. The structure may be restored but God only knows what information has been irretrievably lost. Records and artefacts going right back to the founding of the University. Kitalo nnyo!
— David F.K. Mpanga (@dfkm1970) September 20, 2020
According to the University, the Main Building was completed in 1941 under the leadership of Mr. George C. Turner, Principal, Makerere College (1939-46).
Uganda’s First Lady Janet Museveni, who is also the Minister for Education and Sports who toured the University also said, “This is a chance for Makerere to be rebuilt, not just buildings but the culture, the morals of the people and everything that pertains to our prestigious university.”
