Fire Engulfs Iconic “Ivory Tower” at Uganda’s Makerere University

A fire gutted the iconic “Ivory Tower” at Makerere University in Uganda in the early hours of Sunday morning, destroying offices and documents.

University Vice-Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe on Sunday said it was a “dark morning” and “the saddest day in history” for the institution.

“Our Iconic building which is the symbol of knowledge and education not only at Makerere University, but also in the East and Central region of Africa has been gutted by fire,” he wrote in a statement Sunday.

“The top floor that was housing a lot of our documents has been burnt. These include the; Finance, Internal Audit, Human Resources, Central Registry, University Secretary and Public Relations departments,” he said.

Nawangwe said police were investigating the cause of the fire.

“The biggest task before us is to rebuild this icon of knowledge. With respect to its unique architectural masterpiece, we are planning to rebuild it, without changing its original beauty,” he said.

Makerere University was established in 1922 as a technical school and became one of Africa’s most prestigious universities, and a hub for presidents-to-be and world-renowned intellectuals.

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