The Makerere University community is under fear after an unprecedented fire raged down the signature building dubbed the ‘Ivory Tower’ from 1am till now.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who is constitutionally a visitor to the university is expected a few minutes from now. Also expected is the Minister for Education, Janet Kataaha Museveni. There is heavy security deployment at the university with everyone being chased out by baton wielding military police personnel.
SEE ALSO: JUST IN: Makerere main building on fire
The fire has destroyed several important documents that were being kept in the building overtime. Important to note is that since the building was completed in 1941, it had never caught fire even when it was electrified in 1957.
SFC whisking away people from the scene“The block catches fire a few week after a section of MPs demanded for an investigation into how Makerere lost 8 billion shillings. Wait tomorrow you will here them say, the documents detailing the lose were among those destroyed. As Tamale Mirundi says, this was a short term strategy to kill the investigation,” one of the alumnus wonders.
Prof. Mwambutsya Ndebesa says this fire should not be taken lightly as it has a span of lessons to show.
“It is very sad Makerere University main building has been gutted by fire. Saturday is not a typical working day and there is limited entry to the building. Also since Covid-19 prevention measures started any one entering the main building is registered. Therefore if the fire is due to arson the culprit can be traced. If accident it can also be traced especially if there was renovations going on in the building. Otherwise lets learn lessons and avoid similar fires in future. But also learn how to save documents digitally to avoid big losses to documentation. Another lesson to be learnt by fire brigade. I hear at first they did not have cranes to take water to the top floor and yet the main building is not particularly a very tall building. What if a tall tower in the city such as crested towers caught fire?,” he writes. Several university alumni and students are still mourning what has befell the mighty Ivory Tower.
