The official reopening is scheduled for October 2, 2024, and will be attended by President Yoweri Museveni and minister of Education and Sports Janet Museveni, according to Ritah Namisango, the university’s principal communications officer.
“The president will open it,” Namisango confirmed in a brief phone interview.
Namisango stated that the restoration is 97 per cent complete, with the remaining 3 per cent focused on final touches and interior installations. She emphasized that the building is essentially ready for occupation. While the exterior has been restored to its original grandeur, significant changes have been made to the interior to reflect modern designs and safety standards.
Notably, traditional wooden floors have been replaced with tiles and terrazzo, as wood was identified as a contributing factor to the fire’s rapid spread. Enhanced accessibility features, including pathways for persons with disabilities and a restored elevator, have also been incorporated.
Additional improvements include the installation of more durable concrete walls and the replacement of the plywood office dividers. The building’s iconic bell, which rings at the top of each hour, has also been restored.
The fire that gutted the building occurred in September 2020, with investigations revealing that a short circuit from a faulty electrical system was the cause. Following the fire, the government allocated Shs 21 billion for the building’s restoration. Originally constructed in 1938, the Main Building was funded through contributions from regional governments and individuals.
The reconstruction project, which initially aimed for completion by the university’s centenary celebrations in October 2022, experienced delays. Satvinder Saini, director of Excel Construction Ltd, which is overseeing the restoration, attributed these delays to the need for demolishing the unsafe existing structure. The process was extended to preserve some surviving windows and architectural features.
Vice-chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe also noted that the discovery of structural disrepair in the basement, which housed a printing press, necessitated additional reconstruction work.
Regarding whether all these offices will return to the Main Building, Namisango explained that the university management guided that a few offices such as Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellors, University Secretary, Public Relations return to the restored building while others such as the human resource directorate, finance department and the directorate of internal audit will remain in CTF 1.
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