Campus Bee has learned that the Buganda Land Board (BLB) has finally agreed to swap its land where the Makerere Faculty of Law and Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR) sit with a portion of Makerere University land located in Makindye.
The Kingdom had deliberately refused to renew the lease contract to Makerere since 2016. According to Dennis Bugaya, the BLB Public Relations Officer, they rejected the lease money for a proposed small portion of the Makerere University Land in Makindye which houses the birthplace of Ssekabaka Sir Edward Muteesa, the first Ugandan President.
“It was aimed at bringing the birthplace of Sir Edward Muteesa into full control of Buganda Kingdom. The birthplace of Sir Edward Muteesa is so dear to the Institution of Buganda both heritage-wise and emotional-wise since he was one of the eminent and significant Ssekabakas in our country,” Bugaya said.
Bugaya added that the Kingdom does not seek to collect rent arrears from Makerere neither does it plan to ask for any money in this exchange.
Campus Bee understands that Makerere had failed to attract funding for the expansion of MISR because BLB had denied KCCA to approve building plans on this land.
The Norwegian Agency for Development Co-operation was willing to fund the development of an additional structure in a bid to accommodate the ever increasing student populations at MISR. According to Yusuf Kiranda, the Makerere University Secretary, they had already allocated 4 billion for the construction of modern buildings.
Makerere is currently awaiting to ink the swap with Buganda and they will later write to KCCA requesting for the approval of their building plans.
Apparently, the university does not plan to give out its whole land in Makindye but a smaller part that houses Muteesa’s birthplace. Current land prices in Makerere and Makindye vary, so the University will give out a portion that slightly matches with the one they plan to acquire.
