By Our Reporter
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NATIONAL
Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, has described the official re-opening of Mary Stuart Hall as a momentous occasion, noting that it is the oldest and largest girlsโ hall at the institution.
Speaking at the ceremony presided over by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet K. Museveni, on Friday, 15th August, 2025, the Vice Chancellor said the hall is named after Mary Stuart, wife of Ugandaโs first Anglican Archbishop, who championed the right of women to be admitted to Makerere University.
Prof. Nawangwe recalled that before renovation, the hall was in a state of disrepair, with a lift that had not worked for five decades, dark corridors, and a leaking roof. He said these conditions were observed by the First Lady during her 2020 tour of the halls of residence.
He reported that the UGX 10.5 billion renovation, undertaken by the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) in collaboration with the Estates & Works Department and consultants from the College of Engineering, was completed in exactly one year.
The works included installation of a modern lift, improved lighting, upgraded pantries, modern washrooms, laundry facilities, a reading room, and a senior common room. He added that NEC had also offered to install a solar lighting system and landscape the grounds.
Prof. Nawangwe expressed gratitude to H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for issuing the directive to renovate all student halls of residence, and to the First Lady for making the renovation possible. He also thanked the University Council, Management, the Estates and Works Department, the consultants, and NEC for their commitment to quality work without cost variations.
He revealed that the University plans to renovate Complex Hall for Girls (CCE) once funds are released by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
The Vice Chancellor concluded that the modernised Mary Stuart Hall now provides an environment conducive to academic success, with no reason for residents not to excel in their studies.
