“Its corridors have nurtured cabinet ministers, judges, diplomats, entrepreneurs, academicians and leaders who have gone on to serve Uganda and the world with distinction,” said Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, vice chancellor of Makerere University.
He was speaking about Mary Stuart hall, the iconic hall of residence that has stood as a home, refuge and sometimes even a battlefield of resilience for generations of women.
What Nawangwe did not talk about, were the countless hearts broken in those same staircases and corridors, as well as love stories that began with the resilience of young men walking nine flights of stairs to the last floor – P – to get their future wives.
One Valentine’s day, the story is told, a young man from neighbouring Lumumba hall walked up those stairs to Floor N, carrying a huge bouquet of flowers and an equally flowery speech.
When all was done and he was descending the stairs hoping for the best, his bouquet of flowers came crashing down on his head from the unimpressed ‘Boxer’ as Mary Stuart residents were called.
And the girls who slept on the lower floors – usually reserved for the ‘big points, no-time-to-waste-climbing-stairs courses’ such as medicine, pharmacy, law, mass communication, engineering and the like, often witnessed disappointed suiters descend that staircase in tears after yet another heartbreak or rejection.
Mary Stuart, affectionately known as ‘Box’, was recently brought back to life after months of renovation, and with that facelift came waves of nostalgia for those who once called it home.
Named after the late Mary Stuart, wife of Uganda’s first Anglican archbishop who fought for women’s admission to Makerere University, the hall was officially reopened on August 15, 2025, by the First Lady and minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataaha Museveni.
It is surreal seeing the hall now with balconies lit up at night, walls painted, windows sparkling clean and yes, with working elevators! Mary Stuart has been more than just a hall of residence.
It has been a place where lifelong friendships were made, endless memories created, and resilience built. But over the years, the once vibrant hall had begun to show its age with leaking taps, peeling walls, and woodwork that could barely be identified.
“When I first reported to Mary Stuart in 2022, I was shocked by its sorry state. It was even worse than I expected. The paint was peeling off so badly that if you leaned against the wall, it would attach itself to your clothes,” recalls Anthea Ampaire, the 91st chairlady of Mary Stuart hall and a finalist in medicine and surgery.
“Seeing the state of the hall now is honestly like a miracle.” The renovations tackled long-standing issues. Poorly draining sinks were repaired, new sinks for brushing teeth and washing utensils installed, and the once rotting wood compartments rejuvenated.
Bathrooms and mirrors were also upgraded. And then there’s the legendary TV or common room, the impeccable well-designed pantries and cozy reading rooms that give you motivation to go do your work from there. Perhaps the biggest cheer, however, came with the elevators.
Mary Stuart is the only hall with elevators, but they had not worked for almost five decades. It is hard to find a former boxer of whatever age, who testifies of having ever used those elevators. Generations of first-year girls climbed those stairs from G to P, yet it remained such an honour and privilege to be a boxer.
In their second and final years, the girls would leave the tower for incoming freshers, finding less-punishing rooms in the two-storied wings of the hall of residence. But the lifts are now fully functional, saving both knees and friendships since girls can now actually visit their friends on higher floors without collapsing first.
Another landmark change is inclusivity. A whole floor has been dedicated to students with disabilities, ensuring accessibility and dignity. Theft, once a notorious problem at the hall, has also been curbed with stronger windows that have burglar proofing, especially for the balcony rooms.
“The hall is now more convenient; it gives you morale to wake up every day and harness the opportunities in front of you,” Ampaire said.
From whispers of “that hall is sinking into the ground” to standing in awe of its current glow-up, Mary Stuart has truly been reborn. And the good news does not end there.
Makerere University has confirmed that other halls are next in line for renovation, with Complex Hall up for a facelift soon. The Mary Stuart girls who had been temporarily housed in Lumumba hall, which was the first to get a facelift, have now returned home, and the Complex residents have crossed over to Lumumba as work on their hall starts.
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