12 EbEnEzEr Friday, july 29, 2022 news Tracing back the origins of one of UCU’s oldest buildings as it makes a century it’s 100 years Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology By Esther Byoona (This article was edited from the March 2021 published version) Gray hair. Walking stick. Wrinkles. These are perfect descriptions of a centenarian. If that centenarian is a building, its architecture is likely to be in sharp contrast with other younger buildings around it. The appearance of Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) Bishop Tucker building, which joins the club of centenarians in 2022, seizes attention. Its medieval architecture starkly differs from that of most buildings on the Mukono campus. The neatly arranged baked clay brick walls tell of a time when such a building was associated with royalty and colonial administrators. A closer look over the center arch of the building’s entrance confirms this. The year “1922” is inscribed. Uganda was under colonial administration from 1894 to 1962. The Bishop Tucker building, marking 100 years, was named after the late Bishop Alfred Robert Tucker, an Anglican Bishop of Uganda from 1890 to 1911. Prior to that, he was the Anglican Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa. The walkway to the building is paved with baked clay tiles. A plaque at the easterly side of the building’s entrance tells the origin of both the faculty and the facility that houses it. It reads: “To the Glory of God... the memory of Alfred Robert Tucker, D.D, LL. D, Bishop of Uganda 1890-1911…” 1 The start The construction of the Bishop Tucker Building started in 1919, and was completed in 1922. Bishop Alfred Robert Tucker, after whom the building was named, was the Anglican Bishop of Uganda from 1890 to 1911. 2 The walls The building’s medieval architecture is a sharp contrast from others around it. Its baked clay brick walls are evidence of the type of construction materials that were being used for high-end structures at the time of its birth. 3 in the building On one end of the building is the Thornycroft Chapel and the Principals Hall, which is the university’s boardroom, on the other. The Vice Chancellor’s office is also situated in the building and sits in between the chapel and the boardroom. 4 The resources The resources for the building were from well-wishers and royals from Buganda, Tooro, Bunyoro and Busoga. Buganda’s king at the time, Daudi Chwa, also provided building resources for the Anglican Church’s Namirembe Cathedral. Download a QR code scanner app on your smartphone and use it to scan this code, to take a virtual tour of the Bishop Tucker Building The year was 1919 “The construction of the Bishop Tucker Theology College started in November 1919, only two years after the completion of Namirembe Cathedral,” Eng. David Kivumbi, UCU’s director of facilities and capital projects, says. “While buildings of the time were constructed using mud and cow dung or sun-dried brick and straw, baked brick and cement were used for these (Bishop Tucker and Namirembe).” Mahogany-wood arches serve as a ceiling of the building. They are held up by Y-shaped wooden columns that seem to be grayed by time. “From a bird’s eye view, the Bishop Tucker building forms the shape of an E,” Prof. Christopher Byaruhanga, Theology and Divinity dean, says. “On one end, you have the Thornycroft Chapel,” he says, with a guiding hand. “On the other, you have the Principals’ Hall.” Between these are the equally storied offices and the Faculty of Theology. The Principals’ Hall is the university’s boardroom. In it are framed photos of the Bishop Tucker Theological College’s principals from inception in 1922 until when it became Uganda Christian University in 1997. The building also houses the office of the UCU Vice Chancellor. The musty air of worn wood welcomes visitors who walk through the Thornycroft Chapel door. Everything about the chapel signifies its age, except for the new Yamaha speakers cleverly installed on either side of the altar. The aisle is hemmed by mahogany pews, made several shades darker because of age. All furniture here, from the pulpit to 5 The clock The two-sided clock on the iconic building goes “ding dong” every 30 minutes, to remind the community that “time is moving.” An electronic clock was installed in 2007 to mark 10 years of Uganda Christian University. the pews, is sculpted, as opposed to being hewn. At the front right-hand side of the chapel, two unique instruments sit silently – an upright piano and a large drum. The piano’s lid reads “Ralph Alison and SonsLondon.” Its keys are out of tune and ivories yellowed by several decades of striking. The hide on the drum has been smoothened to baldness by countless years of drumming it. Together, these instruments tell of the intercontinental partnership that brought Thornycroft and the entire Bishop Tucker building into existence. Royalty from four kingdoms – Buganda, Tooro, Bunyoro and Busoga – provided original resources. Buganda’s king at the time, Daudi Chwa, was also credited for providing building resources for the Anglican Church’s Namirembe Cathedral. Clock installed on building By Ivan Tsebeni (This article was edited from the October 2021 published version) Every 30 minutes, a clock on an iconic building at Uganda Christian University (UCU) goes “ding dong.” The sound of the bell on the clock on the Bishop Tucker Building is a reminder to the institution’s community that “time is moving.” However, for nine years, no one at UCU heard the sound. An electronic clock, installed in 2007 to mark 10 years of UCU, malfunctioned five years later. Upon learning that the clock was no Fact Bishop Tucker longer working, Prof. Stephen Noll, the first Vice-Chancellor of UCU, offered to buy a new one for the building. That offer was fulfilled over the summer Theological College (which later became UCU) was named after English Bishop Alfred Tucker, the first resident Anglican bishop in East Africa. of 2021 when Noll sent the clock through UCU Partners, a US-based nonprofit that mobilizes financial support for the university. According to Noll, who joined the university in 2000 as its first Vice Chancellor, the Bishop Tucker Building is part of the heritage of the Anglican Church of Uganda and of Bishop Tucker Theological College, which was founded in 1913. Noll said the sound from the clock should remind the UCU community about the importance of keeping time. “The clock reminds us that ‘my times are in your hands’ (Psalm 31:15),” Noll said. Welcoming the gift, UCU’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, said “the massive sound bell inside the clock tower looks spectacular at night when the clock face is illuminated.” An engineer uses a grader to fix the clock on the tower on Bishop Tucker Building
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