Makerere University will require an estimated Shs16bn ($5m) to rebuild the Main Building which was destroyed by fire in September.
This is according to Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawange.
Last month fire gutted the 98-year-old main administration building at Makerere University destroying records and property worth millions of shillings.
The Main Building with its unique 20th century British architecture is easily Makerere’s most recognizable symbol and was constructed with funds from the Colonial Development house and was completed in 1941 under the leadership of George C. Turner, the Principal, Makerere College (1939-46).
In an effort to carry on with the renovation work, the University unveiled official contribution channels for support towards the restoration of the building that was damaged.
The university also recently received a significant contribution from The Mastercard Foundation.
It announced it was contributing $1million (Shs3.7 billion) towards the reconstruction of the Makerere University Main Building also known as the Ivory Tower.
In an interview with one of the international media, Nawangwe said; “This is a government institution. We are preparing a formal report to government detailing what happened. The preliminary cost of rebuilding estimated by the engineers who are working on it is Shs16bn ($5m).”
“It’s a lot of money. We don’t have this as a university but we believe that government will handle this as a national asset. But if government cannot handle this, we are going to appeal to our more than 300,000 living alumni who are everywhere around the world. I have no doubt, we will raise the money,” he added.
The Vice Chancellor revealed that equipment worth Shs1.5bn was destroyed in the September fire whose cause is still being investigated by Police.
