Makerere University, Public university in Kampala, Uganda
Makerere University is a public university in Kampala that spreads across a large campus with nine colleges and one school. The institution offers programs in natural and social sciences, medicine, engineering, and business, serving more than 35,000 students from across East Africa.
The institution began in 1922 as a technical school teaching carpentry and mechanics, gradually adding academic subjects over the following decades. It gained full university status in 1970 and grew into the leading educational center in East Africa.
The campus houses the Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts, which has trained East African artists for decades and regularly displays contemporary works in exhibitions. The Main Building with its tower serves as an architectural landmark and meeting point for students between lectures.
Visitors can enter the grounds during weekdays and walk through the tree-lined paths between buildings, though certain areas remain reserved for enrolled students. For visits to specialized facilities or libraries, prior inquiry with the relevant department is recommended.
The university accounts for seventy percent of all research output in Uganda and operates two World Bank-funded African Centers of Excellence focusing on materials science and infectious diseases. These centers attract researchers from across the region and coordinate projects that span multiple countries.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
