Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe has proposed a bold new initiative to rent out student halls during academic breaks, aiming to boost the university’s revenue and make better use of its “underutilized facilities.”
The proposal, unveiled Friday evening during the official handover of the newly renovated Mary Stuart Hall, seeks to transform campus accommodation into temporary rentals for conference guests and tourists when students are away.
“I think we waste our resources here,” Prof Nawangwe told guests at the event, noting that: “The quality of the buildings is much better than many hotels.”
“So, why do we keep them closed for three months without making any money out of them?” he added.
Prof Nawangwe suggested that the university could collaborate with its business arm, Makerere Holdings Ltd, to manage bookings and promote the halls for holiday rentals.
“Why don’t we turn them into hotels when the students are away? People who have conferences can bring their participants to stay here. They can even hold their conferences here and give us some money,” he added.
Prof Nawangwe also proposed doing away with the long-standing tradition that requires students to bring their own mattresses to campus.
Instead, the university could purchase mattresses and rent them to students, further increasing income.
“Why should we require a university student, especially a girl, to carry a mattress to Makerere?” he asked. Why can’t we buy the mattresses and have the students just hire them when they arrive?” he asked.
He recalled that during his own time as a student at the university, bedding was provided: “We found them here. We found even the bed sheets and blankets. So how should we have lived in those conditions in the 70s and in 2020 we are demanding that students bring mattresses? I think that has to change.”
The newly refurbished Mary Stuart Hall, one of the university’s iconic all-female residences, will now accommodate 521 students.
The renovation was carried out by the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), the commercial wing of Uganda’s military, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), under a presidential directive to upgrade all halls of residence.
NEC chief Lt Gen James Mugira cautioned students against becoming complacent because of the improved facilities.
“While the new facility will reduce stress and promote relaxation, don’t over-enjoy the comfort of the newly established rooms and forget about your studies,” he said.
He added: “Let’s also keep this facility clean and undamaged… A healthy mind is a healthy body.”
The Dean of Students, Rodney Rugyema, applauded NEC for preserving the building’s historic features during the renovation.
“This history is precious. We must bring it back to life and conserve the legacy of those who came before us,” he said.
The Mary Stuart Hall upgrade follows the recent renovation of Lumumba Hall and marks a wider effort to modernize Uganda’s oldest university.
