Story and photo by Ivan Tsebeni
Uganda Christian University (UCU) has taken advantage of the absence of students by embarking on the renovation of its sports facilities at the main campus. The university intends to spend up to sh12m (about $3,400) in the facelift.
The money is expected to be used to buy paint, among other things, which will be used for a fresh coating on the basketball, netball and volleyball courts.
Speaking at the launch, UCU Vice Chancellor Professor Aaron Mushengyezi said the project also is intended to uplift the face of the institution, most especially in sports, through talent development.
“When we have the best sports facilities, it gives us an edge over other universities,” Mushengyezi said, adding that the institution has always been known to be a sports powerhouse.
UCU’s team was the 2019 University Football League champion, beating St. Lawrence University 2-1 in the final played at StarTimes Stadium, Lugogo in Kampala.
In the current facelift exercise, UCU administration chose to contract the institution’s Department of Visual Arts and Design, which hired its own students to execute the project.
“We are using our own students to help build their skills and capacity, as well as to support them financially,” the Vice Chancellor said.
Jamada Bikala, a lecturer in the Department of Visual Arts and Design, thanked the university for entrusting them with the project, noting that it is one way of testing the skills of their products.
“We have, over years, trained our students in this field, but we have not been receiving this opportunity to be assigned such projects,” Bikala said.
Traditionally, UCU has basked in the glory of her superb sport facilities. For that reason, it has often won bids to host major national and regional tournaments. Some of the popular tournaments that have been played at the Mukono campus include the Regional Inter-University Games of East Africa (2013 and 2014).
On March 13, UCU came to the rescue of the Uganda Athletics Federation by hosting the national athletics trials. The athletics body was contemplating cancelling the event after their usual venue, Namboole Stadium, was ruled out because it was a holding facility for Covid-19 patients. The other option, the Kyambogo University grass track, was being used by Uganda’s Electoral Commission during the general election that was taking place at the time.
Michael Kakande, the UCU sports supervisor. attributes such opportunities to UCU’s high quality sports facilities.
Jackson Ssekandi, a basketball player, calls the renovation a shot in the arm.
“We could not feel comfortable playing on such rough and unmarked ground,” he said. “It is better now.”
Kenneth Amponda Agaba, the UCU Guild President, said the facelift was an aesthetic necessity.
“Our sports facilities were not enticing due to the old look,” Amponda said. “This development will encourage more talented students towards sports.”
Vice Chancellor Mushengyezi said the university will be looking into adding a modern swimming pool to its array of sports facilities.
The Department of Sports had been closed ever since last year’s lockdown due to the devastating effects of Covid-19 in Uganda. However, it was reopened mid-this year and the facelift is a sign of the department getting back to life.
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