Stalled plans to have Makerere University get a perimeter wall fence have been revived after a one-year lull, to be carried out under an agreement that was originally agreed upon between the university and the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
Speaking to the EagleOnline, sources said that under the plan that was spearheaded by the university Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance and Administration Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, the KCCA had agreed to a raft of undertakings including among others the construction of a 350-metre new perimeter wall fence along the entire stretch of Makerere Hill Road, between Jjunju Road and the Sir Apollo Kaggwa junctions. The wall is in ‘cross-compensation’ of the university land that would be taken up to construct Makerere Hill Road.
Also to be handled under the cumulative Shs7bn mutual agreement was the construction by KCCA of walkways and, the installation of solar lighting street systems around the whole university, all of which were completed and handed over to the university authorities.
“In the entire arrangement with KCCA there was no money involved; everything was to be done through trade-offs between Makerere and KCCA, on mutually agreeable and contributory terms,” the source said.
However, according to the sources, the original plan by the two stakeholders, the university and the KCCA, had been put on hold for one year between March 2016 and March 2017, after a very senior official at Makerere University wrote to the World Bank, faulting the project.
“The university top official opposed to the project wanted to have money replace the trade-offs with the KCCA. After getting frustrated because the project involved the element of non-financial trade-offs, he wrote to the World Bank faulting the project, leading to the one year suspension,” the source added.
The source said development came in the wake of the university searching for the replacement of outgoing Vice Chancellor Prof. John Ddumba Sentamu.
Recently, the university VC search committee shortlisted three candidates: DVC/FA Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe and, Professors Edward Kirumira and Venasius Baryamureeba to vie for the top job at Makerere.
Last week the trio made graphic and oral presentations, and the committee is expected to name to new VC after June 26.
