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Going not quite home to Makerere
Eventually, we got to Kasubi View, where both our families lived in the 70s through the 90s, and we were in for a real shocker. The houses, which we once called home, seem abandoned. The first house we lived in during the 70s, 191A, even had a padlock on the front door. It was 7:30 on a Saturday morning; who leaves that early? The adjoining garage had broken doors, and the grass in the compound behind the houses was overgrown.
Kalungi (left) and Assimwe at Kasubi View lane in Makerere University.
By: Kalungi Kabuye, Journalist @New Vision
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WHAT’S UP!
Last week, I found out that one cannot really go back to their childhood. Jackie Asiimwe has been doing her Walk & Connect project for quite a while, where she walks with someone and they discuss the complexities of life. We were once neighbours in Makerere University, so she suggested we arrange a walk through our childhood, as it were.
It took a while to make it work, but last Saturday morning, we met at CCE hall at 7am, a great time to start a walk. Our first stop was at the Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts, which Jackie had only first visited recently. My last visit was about a year ago, for an art exhibition.
But my memories of the art school go way back to when the late Fabian Mpagi lived in the house just below. It was the site of many parties we had as teenagers, and we could easily cross from Fab’s house to go past the Law School, which was just behind it. Now, there is an iron sheet barricade, although the bamboo grove I remember so well still stands.
One thing that we both liked was that there seems to be a deliberate effort to preserve the tree cover that has defined Makerere for more than a century. At a time when builders in Kampala seem to be in a competition to create concrete jungles, that was satisfying.
We noticed that Makerere College School has a brick wall around it, which must sound like an abomination for old students of MACOS, as it is known. In fact, for a long time, the only fence in the university was along its perimeter, which was more open than closed. ‘Campus’ (at the time, the word ‘campus’ meant only Makerere University) was like one big village, and kids could go to any residence freely. But currently, some houses have fences, complete with gates. That was sad.
We could almost smell the fresh paint off the newly renovated Mary Stuart Hall, although that famous dining hall is now a restaurant. I did not tell Jackie about my escapades there and how I used to climb that famous tank and into the rooms. As a daughter of a priest and the university chaplain, hers was a more ‘protected’ life. She did visit the Guild Canteen once, she said, and someone promptly told her parents about it.
She could not believe that girls now reside in Lumumba Hall till we saw girls with books exiting the hall. And the ‘elephant’ sculpture by the gate was of a thin, almost emaciated animal. Talk about fallen glory!
Eventually, we got to Kasubi View, where both our families lived in the 70s through the 90s, and we were in for a real shocker. The houses, which we once called home, seem abandoned. The first house we lived in during the 70s, 191A, even had a padlock on the front door. It was 7:30 on a Saturday morning; who leaves that early? The adjoining garage had broken doors, and the grass in the compound behind the houses was overgrown.
Is a major renovation project in the works? We sincerely hope so, because a place that was a vibrant community is now a ghost town, and those ghosts were not talking. Rev. Kasamba, who was our neighbour and the university chaplain before Jackie’s father, sadly passed away recently. Rev. Kasamba, who was our neighbour and the university chaplain before Jackie’s father, sadly passed away recently.
The Luboobis stayed in the very first house and were neighbours with the Mudoolas. Sadly, Prof. Dan Mudoola was killed in a grenade attack in Wandegeya in 1993. But a year earlier, on Boxing Day of 1992, someone mistook our house for Mudoolas and shot an RPG through my window. Luckily, there was nobody at home, and thus no casualties. But I lost my entire LPs collection and several hundred cassettes, among other things. I have never really been convinced of the reasons given as to why someone badly wanted Prof. Mudoola dead.
The Rutibas, the Kasozis, the Otims, the Meyas, the Ogwangs and the house where the late Mary Karoro Okurut used to live — they were all empty.
We could almost smell the fresh paint off the newly renovated Mary Stuart Hall, although that famous dining hall is now a restaurant. I did not tell Jackie about my escapades there and how I used to climb that famous tank and into the rooms. As a daughter of a priest and the university chaplain, hers was a more ‘protected’ life. She did visit the Guild Canteen once, she said, and someone promptly told her parents about it.
She could not believe that girls now reside in Lumumba Hall till we saw girls with books exiting the hall. And the ‘elephant’ sculpture by the gate was of a thin, almost emaciated animal. Talk about fallen glory!
Eventually, we got to Kasubi View, where both our families lived in the 70s through the 90s, and we were in for a real shocker. The houses, which we once called home, seem abandoned. The first house we lived in during the 70s, 191A, even had a padlock on the front door. It was 7:30 on a Saturday morning; who leaves that early? The adjoining garage had broken doors, and the grass in the compound behind the houses was overgrown.
Is a major renovation project in the works? We sincerely hope so, because a place that was a vibrant community is now a ghost town, and those ghosts were not talking. Rev. Kasamba, who was our neighbour and the university chaplain before Jackie’s father, sadly passed away recently. Rev. Kasamba, who was our neighbour and the university chaplain before Jackie’s father, sadly passed away recently.
The Luboobis stayed in the very first house and were neighbours with the Mudoolas. Sadly, Prof. Dan Mudoola was killed in a grenade attack in Wandegeya in 1993. But a year earlier, on Boxing Day of 1992, someone mistook our house for Mudoolas and shot an RPG through my window. Luckily, there was nobody at home, and thus no casualties. But I lost my entire LPs collection and several hundred cassettes, among other things. I have never really been convinced of the reasons given as to why someone badly wanted Prof. Mudoola dead.
The Rutibas, the Kasozis, the Otims, the Meyas, the Ogwangs and the house where the late Mary Karoro Okurut used to live — they were all empty.
We continued on along the road where kids used to play football and ride bikes, but which was now quiet, and we noticed some of the houses still had asbestos roofs! With all the grand building projects going on at Makerere, how can asbestos roofs still exist decades after it was declared a health hazard by the Government? How many ‘Makerere kids’ have since developed cancer as a result? Really shocking!
Then past the erstwhile Faculty of Technology (it is now a college or something) and climbed onto the top of Makerere Hill for some amazing views. It is a sign of the times that during the 80s, when the Rhino Athletics Club used that climb for training, it was really steep and was nicknamed Mount Otim, after one of our members who especially found it difficult. But the steps were built and the ground levelled off, so now it is just a gentle climb.
Garden Hill and Observatory Road (was there actually an observatory at one time?), the ‘Kololo’ of Makerere- still look neat, although wall fences and massive gates have invaded the once tranquil place.
Down to Livingstone Road, past the Botanical Gardens (Jackie never knew they were there, although she resided in Africa Hall, just next to it). She did not feel like visiting my former hall, Northcote, so we continued along Pool Road.
Pool Court, where I spent most of my waking hours, had teams training, so I could not shoot a few hoops, for old times’ sake.
Then on past Freedom Square, past the Main Library, and on to the Main Building, which has just been rebuilt after a devastating fire. Does anyone know what those letters, MCM, at the entrance stand for? Jackie opined that there should be plaques explaining some of the more significant places in Makerere, which makes a lot of sense.
Last place of call was the Faculty of Law, which has a grey imposing building, but rather bland. That probably accurately sums up Makerere University’s new reality – with all the grand new things happening, much of it is still rather bland.
Then past the erstwhile Faculty of Technology (it is now a college or something) and climbed onto the top of Makerere Hill for some amazing views. It is a sign of the times that during the 80s, when the Rhino Athletics Club used that climb for training, it was really steep and was nicknamed Mount Otim, after one of our members who especially found it difficult. But the steps were built and the ground levelled off, so now it is just a gentle climb.
Garden Hill and Observatory Road (was there actually an observatory at one time?), the ‘Kololo’ of Makerere- still look neat, although wall fences and massive gates have invaded the once tranquil place.
Down to Livingstone Road, past the Botanical Gardens (Jackie never knew they were there, although she resided in Africa Hall, just next to it). She did not feel like visiting my former hall, Northcote, so we continued along Pool Road.
Pool Court, where I spent most of my waking hours, had teams training, so I could not shoot a few hoops, for old times’ sake.
Then on past Freedom Square, past the Main Library, and on to the Main Building, which has just been rebuilt after a devastating fire. Does anyone know what those letters, MCM, at the entrance stand for? Jackie opined that there should be plaques explaining some of the more significant places in Makerere, which makes a lot of sense.
Last place of call was the Faculty of Law, which has a grey imposing building, but rather bland. That probably accurately sums up Makerere University’s new reality – with all the grand new things happening, much of it is still rather bland.