General
Mary Stuart Hall Reborn: Makerere Celebrates Reopening of Historic Female Residence
Makerere University officially reopened Mary Stuart Hall after a year-long renovation project that cost UGX 10.5 billion, carried out by the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC). The reopening ceremony, held on August 15, 2025, was presided over by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni, who expressed profound gratitude to God, the government, and the University leadership for what she described as a long-awaited answer to prayer. The function begun with an opening prayer led by Rev. Dr. Lydia Kitayimbwa of St. Francis Chapel.
Mary Stuart Hall, the largest and oldest female residence at Makerere, was constructed in 1947 and named after Mary Stuart, wife of Anglican Archbishop Simon Stuart, who championed women’s admission to the University. For decades, it has been home to generations of accomplished women, including cabinet ministers, diplomats, academics, and entrepreneurs. Yet in recent years, the hall had fallen into a state of disrepair, with broken facilities, leaking roofs, and a lift that had remained non-functional for nearly 50 years.
In her address, the First Lady recalled touring Makerere’s halls of residence during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, where she was distressed by their poor condition. Believing that one’s environment directly shapes one’s mindset, she was moved to pray for their restoration. The reopening of Mary Stuart Hall, she noted, symbolized God’s faithfulness and the government’s commitment to dignified student living. She commended NEC for its timely and high-quality work, praised the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development for providing the funding, and reaffirmed the NRM government’s pledge to gradually restore all Halls of Residence across the University.
Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara, hailed the First Lady’s nine years of transformative leadership in the education sector, pointing to substantial improvements in human resource investment, infrastructure development, and research funding. She noted that staff salary allocation at Makerere had increased by 116%—from UGX 102.4 billion in FY 2016/17 to UGX 221.6 billion today—including successful salary harmonization, with professors now earning up to UGX 15 million per month. Infrastructure investment has also more than doubled, with the development budget rising from UGX 10.1 billion in FY 2016/17 to UGX 23.4 billion, a 132% increase, enabling projects such as the restoration of the Main Building, construction of the Schools of Law and Dentistry, and perimeter wall construction. In addition, government support has boosted research excellence, with annual funding growing from zero in FY 2016/17 to UGX 20 billion today. She described the reopening of Mary Stuart Hall as a visible symbol of this broad, sustained commitment to higher education.
Vice Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe described the reopening as not just the restoration of a building, but the renewal of a legacy. He noted that Mary Stuart Hall has always been more than a residence, “it has been a sanctuary of sisterhood, leadership, and inspiration for women” he said. The renovations have transformed the hall into a modern facility housing 521 students, complete with a new lift, modern washrooms, laundry facilities, bright corridors, pantries, a reading room, and a senior common room. NEC has also committed to installing a solar lighting system and landscaping the grounds, while plans are underway to modernize the kitchen and dining area. He further thanked the First Lady for the meticulous leadership in the education sector.
The 91st Guild President, H.E. Ssentamu Churchill James, speaking on behalf of students, called the reopening a restoration of hope and pride for the Makerere community. He urged fellow students to cherish and protect the renewed facility as a place of ideas, friendships, and shared teachings, while carrying forward the hall’s proud legacy of resilience and leadership.
Chairlady of Mary Stuart Hall, Ms. Anthea Ampaire, a fourth-year medical student, spoke with gratitude and renewed hope, describing the reopening as a rebirth of the hall. She celebrated the hall’s historical significance as the first female residence at Makerere, praising its new inclusive features such as ramps and a lift for persons with disabilities. She encouraged fellow students to embrace the new facilities with a sense of responsibility and to use them as a foundation for creating brighter futures.
The ceremony, attended by dignitaries including State Minister for Higher Education Hon. J.C. Muyingo, was marked by joy, prayers, and reflection on the hall’s historic role in shaping Uganda’s women leaders. As Mary Stuart Hall officially reopens, it stands not only as a restored building but also as a renewed commitment to inclusivity, empowerment, and the holistic development of the Makerere student community.
More than 35 staff from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) have begun a week-long training in Essentials of Public Investment Management at Makerere University. The training, which opened on September 23, 2025, is being hosted at the Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence in the School of Economics.
The program was officially opened by Ms. Esther Ayebare, Ag. Assistant Commissioner in the Projects Analysis and Public Investment Department at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), who represented the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury. She was joined by Prof. Edward Bbaale, Director of the PIM Centre of Excellence and Principal Investigator of the project.
In her remarks, Ms. Ayebare highlighted the government’s continued efforts to improve the quality of public investments. “This training is meant to build your capacity in Public Investment Management and equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective government project preparation,” she said. She added that the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with Makerere University’s School of Economics, established the PIM Centre of Excellence to strengthen MDAs’ ability to conceptualize, prepare, and implement projects that deliver value for money.
Prof. Bbaale welcomed participants to the training and commended MoFPED for its sustained financial and technical support to the Centre. “This training marks the beginning of your journey to becoming experts in public investment management. Over the next five days, you will gain not only theoretical knowledge but also practical experience in preparing real-world projects in sectors such as health, education, water, energy, and transport,” he said.
The training attracted over 35 participants from different MDAs. Prof. Bbaale also appreciated the trainers, who are drawn from Makerere University, the National Planning Authority, and MoFPED, for their dedication to knowledge sharing and building the next generation of experts in public investment management.
At the end of the program, participants will be awarded a dual certificate by Makerere University and the Ministry of Finance, recognizing their successful completion of the course.
Beyond training, the PIM Centre of Excellence continues to play a central role in research, policy advisory, and outreach. Recently, it organized the second Public Investment Management Conference in August 2025, focusing on overcoming implementation barriers to strengthen fiscal sustainability.
The Centre remains committed to working with MDAs and other stakeholders to ensure that Uganda’s public investments deliver maximum value for money and contribute meaningfully to national development.
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