Uganda Christian University (UCU) will now save sh600m annually in rent after purchasing a building for its Kampala campus.

Initially, the campus was renting several buildings, spending millions of shillings every year before permanently acquiring a structure at Musajja Alumbwa in Kampala Central Region.

The UCU Vice-Chancellor, Prof Aaron Mushengyezi, said with the new development the students' numbers will increase and more research will be conducted.

He, however, declined to disclose the amount of money used to buy the structure.

The three-storied building acquired from the Medical Research Council in partnership with Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is adjacent to the land that the University had already acquired two years ago.

‘’We are going to develop and scale up our services in Kampala,’’ said Mushengyezi.

The programmes mainly offered at the Kampala campus include Journalism and mass communication, social work, business and Law among others.

The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Dr Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, urged parents to bring their students to the university.

He appreciated the staff and students' body for working together and supporting each other. 

"We want to appreciate, lecturers, students' body, and government for your contribution to UCU centre of excellence,’’

(L-R) Prof Pontiano Kaleebu UVRI Director interacting with Archbishop Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu during the ceremony

He asked God to bless the students, campus and staff, and appealed to them to work together.

Covid-19

Mushengyezi said the university had not registered any Covid-19 cases at the moment. 

He added that they have taken precautions, and instructed academic staff and students to prioritise online learning as they did for previous semesters.

"We still have physical classes until the government tells otherwise, but we will keep them at minimal operations,’’ said Mushengyezi.

He further revealed they have opened up a two-day vaccination exercise against COVID-19 at the main campus.