By Eriah Lule
In modern times, “vintage is classy,” a very priceless and non-negotiable possession one would ever have. If you have never been to Uganda Christian University (UCU) Mukono, you just need to search in your Google browser and your eyes will be set on this 109-year-old Bishop Tucker Building that is being celebrated.
It’s medieval architecture starkly differs from that of most buildings you would walk past on the campus. The neatly arranged baked clay brick walls tell us of a time when such a building was associated with royalty and colonial administrators. A closer look at the center ark of the building’s entrance confirms this.
Bishop Dunstan Bukenya the first UCU Deputy Vice-chancellor in charge of finance and administration narrates the history of Bishop Tucker building
The work of the architects of the 17th and 18th centuries can still be seen today in this university, a vision carried out by the Church Council to establish a training school for church ministers.
A vision that Buganda Chief Hamu Mukasa welcomed, arguing that ministers should be trained outside of the city setting because it would be more favorable and conducive to their learning.
Due to his generosity, he gave a big chunk of land in Mukono (the central part of the country) to establish the school.
The bricks were made of mud and cemented on the edges, which gave them such a lifespan that they could even support the building for the next generation, with the clay roofing tiles as well. The walls are thick, with a slight cement to hold them firm.
The Mvule tree (Milicia excelsa) was the timber used as poles on the outside and inside to lift the roof, giving the building an astonishing glance of the eyes and even the furniture that still exists. The timber was obtained from the Ssese Islands on Lake Victoria.
On the inside, the Y-shaped wooden columns holding the roof, the wooden floors on the second floor, and the finishing are just fascinating to a preserved long culture.
The musty air of worn-out wood welcomes visitors who walk through the Thorny Craft Chapel door. Everything about the chapel signifies its age, except the new Yamaha speakers cleverly installed on either side of the altar.
The aisle is hemmed by wood, which has aged several shades darker because of its age. All the furniture here, from the pulpit to the pews, is sculpted, as opposed to being hewn.
The clock and bell that are elevated at the top of the building don’t only help the fraternity to keep time but also bring out the exact architect of the past centuries. All this gives the building a spectacular view that doesn’t only appeal to your sight but to all your senses.
Abdul Karim Jesswa, an engineer with El-Shaddai Construction Company, finds this kind of work fascinating all the time he passes by the university, “There was a lot of work done to put that complex together, It’s more than thrice as much in everything on it compared to what engineers of the modern-day build.”
With such bricks and roofing tiles used, you can no longer get them anywhere, maybe only if you made a special order for Uganda clay, he added.
The walkway to the building is paved with baked clay tiles, a sharp contrast to the tarmac walkways elsewhere on the campus, possibly to preserve the building’s medieval nature.
The building’s history stands out as extraordinary because of the existence of the church and institute itself. In the early 19th century, the church used to train clergy at Namirembe Diocese. Later, Bishop Alfred Tucker, the Bishop of East African Province, had the vision to establish a training college for clerics.
The building was named Bishop Tucker in memory of Bishop Alfred Tucker, who had the vision of this school when he was still the Bishop of East Africa.
The building looks as strong and beautiful as the way I found it in 1970 when I joined UCU, said Augustine Byaruhanga, a retired dining staff member at his Diary shop in the university business park.
“50 years down the road, nothing has ever changed on it, apart from the ambiance that adds to its scenic beauty every day, I would still love to take another picture on it” he added.
At the kickstart of its construction in 1919, Archdeacon Baskerville M.A, laid the foundation, with a lot of distinguished guests invited, and among them was the King of Buganda, Kabaka Daudi Chwa II, who signed the 1900 Buganda Agreement (the country’s first Constitution), Mugabe, the king of Ankole, Omukama, the King of Toro, and the President of Busoga.
“I felt lifted by the artistic impression of the building, although I am just a member of the community.” Said Annet Nalugwa, a shop attendant in the surrounding trading center, “I resolved to pray from Thorny Craft Chapel every Sunday, so as I am also part of this big history in one way or the other.”
The Rt Rev. Dr. Joel Obetia, the retired Bishop of the Madi and West Nile dioceses in northwestern Uganda and a lecturer in the School of Theology confirms that the building still stands majestically and strongly as if he had just joined the school in 1990 to pursue his Bachelors in Theology.
“I was so amazed by the works of art used to design the building. It was breathtaking
The building currently harbors the offices of the Vice-chancellor, Chaplaincy, auditors, and legal offices, LUCY’s mother institution, Bishop Tucker School of Theology, Principals Hall, full of history of the past principals and vice-chancellors; and the Chapel, a manifest of the word vintage if you looked inside.
Conrad Tumwebaze, a second-year student pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Science in Environmental Engineering, believes that such projects as Bishop Tucker can be erected to redefine and blend modern work with early architecture to produce more fascinating projects.
He added that if the building is used as a basis to design more projects, they could really be amazing if constructed across the region.
