Staff houses for support staff at Makerere University are in a sorry state and in urgent need of major repairs.

Most of the houses are occupied by the junior staff and are located on the western side of the university, along Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road. Looking at the entire buildings, roof tiles are falling off and wallks peeling off and stained with algae. Verandas of some of the houses fell off leaving occupants with one choice of piling stones around houses to act as verandas.

Nabulya Immaculate Jane of house number 120 explains that her house roof has holes which let water through whenever it rains.

“We hardly enjoy life while staying in these houses. We stay with young children who are very hard to manage especially during times of crisis. Roofs leak a lot which affects food staffs, clothes and beddings,” she laments.

Nabulya adds that the situation of their houses makes them even run away from the visitors because they fear to be seen residing in such places.

Auma Christine, another university shows dissatisfaction towards this situation. “As a mother of young children, I don’t find this favourable. Even the water released from toilets crosses through my compound, which stinks,” she says. Auma adds that this situation is as serious as one can imagine but the top university authorities have ignored the issue.

Musoke Robinah, another employee argues that the sorry state of the infrastructure degrades the image of Makerere University.Musoke adds that, even though they buy paint and try to renovate the walls, this can’t last for long and walls fade again.

The buildings were constructed in the 1940s to accommodate junior non-teaching staff but are now becoming a sore for the 96 year old Makerere University.

Charles Oigu who has worked as L.C 1 councilor for Makerere for over twenty years, calls on the university to be considerate and fix the problem.

However, the Public Relations Officer of Makerere university, Ritah Namisango, says  the condition of these houses was put under consideration and are to be renovated before next semester begins.