By Faith Zipporah
Uganda Christian University (UCU), is renowned for its exceptional beauty and commitment to environmental sustainability. The campus boasts an impressive array of natural wonders that stretch beyond the horizon, providing a serene and inviting atmosphere that fosters creativity and peace of mind. The university takes great pride in maintaining a lush and well-manicured environment, with litter-free pathways that contribute to its overall attractiveness. It is no wonder that UCU Is widely regarded as one of the most visually stunning higher education institutions in Africa.
The UCU community treasures the university atmosphere. Fredrik Kahinda, the head of the civil engineering capital facilities and projects at UCU, says one of the reasons UCU is as it is is because of its geographical location. It is sitting on a hilltop, with Lake Victoria being to the right of the Ankra School of Business, and the occupants enjoy all the blessings. This environment makes it very refreshing for the students to concentrate.
“Most of the students now enjoy sitting out in the compounds more than staying in their rooms, and they also prefer to study outside,” says Kahinda.
This cleanliness policy has gone a long way to establish the university as one of the most conducive, something that has largely positively impacted the academics of the institution.
Margret Kirabo, a third-year student of bachelor of procurement and logistics, says the first time she came to UCU was with her father, who always frequented this place, and she was amazed by its natural environment.
“Being a person that loves nature, I decided to come to this university after my S6.” says Kirabo. “The environment is conducive and has no noise, giving me a very good mindset to read. I can easily get to the gardens to read, and the environment is easy for one to cope with.”
The university not only contains the human species, but it also has monkeys that give it an extraordinary touch. It keeps the compound of UCU lively all throughout the year in a way that people get excited when they are always seeing something that they would only get the chance to see from the zoo.
Pauline Nantubwes, a student of procurement and logistics management, says she loves the conducive environment and how it is welcoming.
“It is enjoyable when you are studying and you see the monkeys playing and eating mangoes. I never knew how monkeys eat, but now I know since I am always seeing them around campus eating fruits. It is so fun to watch.” Says Nantubwe.
The university hires a specialized service provider, 7 Star Cleaning Services, to keep the environment sparkling all year round.
With the effort of the cleaners and the cooperation of the students, UCU can continue to be neat throughout. They also enjoy working for the university and hope to continue working with it given the discipline of its staff and student community when it comes to waste management. It is hard for one to notice that it’s a dry season because it is always green around the campus.
Julie Nantongo, a 7-star staff member, says in the short time she has been here, it has really been a great experience working for the university, and I have not found any challenges with it.
“We always make sure to clean around the campus and the classrooms at least twice a day. This is to ensure that the university is clean before we leave at the end of the day,” says Nantongo.
Not only is the lush green environment pleasing to the eye, but the buildings also make it a conducive environment. The buildings are not very close to each other; this makes the class blocks and compounds less crowded, and most importantly, there is no noise pollution of any kind.
The new pathways connect all corners of the university to each other. You are either seeing green or a walk-and-drive way. There is no unnecessary trespassing, leaving the environment dusty. Sharif Olipa, a student of business administration, appreciates the university for the great work they are doing and encourages them to continue.
“I appreciate what has been done from the Uganda Studies Program office to Nkoyoyo.” Says Olipa, “The classrooms at N and K block have good air, especially at the balconies, and it makes one feel that they are able to perform well.”
A lot of effort is put in by the university, the cleaners, and the students to keep the university as wonderful as it is, with the calm spirit that it gives a person the moment you enter through its doors. The organic environment gives you a very good sense of concentration.
