General
Contractor Hands Over Completed St Francis Extension Works to Chaplain
On Thursday 8th June 2017, the Chaplain Makerere University St. Francis Chapel, Rev. Canon Amos Turyahabwe received keys and architectural designs from Excel Construction Company Ltd, a company that was contracted to manage the extension of the chapel from a sitting capacity of 300 to 1,200.
The handover ceremony of the Chapel grounds from the Contractor to the Chaplain, paves way for the official opening of the “new” chapel scheduled to take place on 9th July 2017. The Archbishop of Uganda, Most Rev. Stanley Ntagali is expected to officiate at the grand opening.
Touring the completed construction works amidst hymns of praise from the Choir and believers, the overjoyed Chaplain confirmed that the expanded Chapel can accommodate 1200 people. The Chaplain remarked that the extension of the chapel was a community achievement and applauded members for supporting the fulfillment of the work of God.
Makerere University Dean of Students, Mr. Cyriaco Kabagambe who represented the Vice Chancellor-Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu requested the Church to involve students in all activities and programmes of the Chapel.
“I request that you deliberately involve students in the activities of the Church. Let them be number one in all the programmes and make them feel the presence of God,” he said.
Mr. Satvinder Saini, the Site Engineer of Excel Construction Company Ltd attributed the timely completion of the extension project to the maximum cooperation with the Chaplain, the University Management, the Chapel Council and the community at large. He revealed that Excel Construction Company Ltd did everything possible to retain the originality of the Chapel.
“We tried our level best to maintain the original designs of the Chapel. The designs inside and outside remained the same. The monuments we came up with were extracted from the art that was in the church,” he said. Mr. Saini stated that appealed to the church users to preserve and protect the facility.
According to Mr. Jesse Tukacungurwa, the Project Manager, the completion of the extension was a great achievement. He said, “This is a great day and we must rejoice for this achievement. “Everyone has contributed in their own way. The project has taken us almost a year, but finally here we are! We thank God for guiding us and all those who have contributed towards the success of this project.”
The Chairperson of the Project Technical Committee, Eng. Paul Alex Ekirikubinza said that the accomplishment was a collective effort. They worked with a number of teams who faithfully dedicated time towards the great cause.
“We recognize all those who have worked tirelessly towards this project. I applaud the voluntary spirit. What we are seeing here today is evidence to us that there is no limit on what God can do. This is the culmination of the work God is doing,” Eng. Ekirikubinza said.
He thanked the Chaplain, Church Council, University Management, Project Manager, Contractor and the community at large for fully backing the extension project and urged them to continue supporting the work of God.
The handover of the Chapel site to the Chaplain was also witnessed by Eng. Fred Nuwagaba-Director, Makerere University Estates and Works; Makerere University Directorate of Legal Affairs; Makerere University Public Relations office; St. Francis Chapel Council; representative members of St. Francis Community and well-wishers.
Article: Mak Public Relations Office
Organised by the Makerere Debating Union – a student-led initiative, the Inter-college Debate Tournament was held on 11th and 12th April 2025 with a vision to leave no student behind by nurturing a community of confident, articulate, and visionary leaders who will drive positive change in society. The tournament was held in three preliminary rounds, followed by semi-finals and a grand finale.
The first round covered democracy and youth participation in politics, while the second round covered inequality and wealth distribution, and the third, the ban on export of raw materials. The semi-final round debated apprenticeship for blue-collar jobs, while the grand finale debated national budget allocations for healthcare and education. In the spirit of inclusivity, all colleges, including the Jinja Campus participated in the tournament.
Commenting on the choice of topics, the organisers noted Makerere University as a bastion of academic excellence has a profound responsibility to cultivate the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of our nation. These leaders, they added, ought to be equipped with 21st century skills of self-expression, critical thinking, and problem-solving so as to navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving world.
On the whole, Makerere Inter-college Debates were conceived as a strategic initiative to foster a culture of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and innovation. The Debating Union aims to empower the future leaders by providing a platform for students to engage in respectful discourse, articulate their thoughts, as well as develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Furthermore, the Debates serve as a platform for not only honing the intellectual prowess of students but also cultivating leadership skills, teamwork, and communication abilities that are essential for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. It is envisaged that this initiative will have a lasting impact on the lives of students, by exposing them to debates on topical issues that can shape the mindsets of transformative leaders our nation needs.
After a thrilling two days of debate, Daphine Kemigisha and Jibril Ssekandi from the School of Law (SoL) emerged as winners of the Makerere University Inter-college Debate Tournament 2025, while Olara Emmanuel George from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) was the Public Speech Champion, and Namujuzi Martha Mociita from the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) was the Poetry Champion.
The 2025 Tournament was organized by Mayanja Owen and Nkalubo Oprah – 91st Guild Representative Councils (GRCs) of the Debate Union, Akatwijuka Arthur – Chairperson Debate Union, and Debate Union Representatives from colleges. The Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF) partnered with the Debate Union to deliver the 2025 edition.
Addressing students at the award ceremony, UNNGOF’s Mr. Derrick Baluuku encouraged the youth to step out of their comfort zones and think of solutions to inspire change in their communities.
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