Two security guards have been arrested as police commenced investigations into a fire that gutted Makerere University Main Building yesterday.
The director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate, Grace Akullo, yesterday camped at the country’s oldest university as her team tried to establish what could have caused a fire at the building that houses the institution’s key offices.
Those arrested are two police officers; one who should have been on duty at the entrance to the Main Building, which caught fire just after midnight, and another from the university’s internal security. The third officer was still at large by last evening, according to Akullo.
“We have two security officers in our custody helping us in investigations. They were supposed to be guarding but for some reason, they were not there. They have recorded statements. They are with us,” she said in an interview with Daily Monitor on Sunday.
At 4 pm, police officers were asked to enter the office of the vice-chancellor, Prof
“Police inquiries have commenced. We are going to investigate and find out what happened; whether it is arson or out of any other cause. At the moment, it is still early to say what has caused the fire,” Akullo said.
The university was already preparing for the centenary celebrations slated for January 2022. Although the burning of the iconic building is a setback, The Vice-chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe assured that they will ensure it is reconstructed before the big day.
There have been past fire incidents at the university and Prof Nawangwe said processes were underway to at least insure key buildings such as the Main Building, library, and senate.
“We were in the process of insuring the key buildings but because we have to go through payment systems of government, the accident happened. I am sure everybody will now support us to expedite the process,” he added.
He said although all documents in the human resource and finance departments were burnt, they had been digitized
