Makerere University, the Uganda's oldest public university, has received expressions of interest from 12 local and international firms from China, Korea and Uganda to develop the University's idle lands through a PPP project under the Makerere University Infrastructure Development Marshall Plan (MUIDMP).

The name of the groups bidding for the project was not revealed.

The tender process was launched in January by issuing a request for expressions of interest (RFEOI). Construction works are scheduled to start by the end of this year.

The University's idle lands are divided in differents parts: Main Campus, Katalemwa, Makindye, Bwaise and Kololo. MUIDMP PPP project involves the development of 11 projects:

• Teaching Hospital
• Student Resource Centre
• Student Hostels at the Main Campus and Kabanyolo
• Hotel and Convention Centre
• Centre for Innovation and Technology Incubation
• Perimeter fence and Commercial Buildings
• Transport Hub
• Middle Income Apartments
• Upper Market Apartments
• Centre for Gender and Development Studies
• School of Law

Vice Chancellor, Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu, stated:

We are very serious about Public Private Partnerships because they are the best way to advance these projects. One of our major resources is land and we shall fully utilize it for all the projects. We would like to start with the perimeter wall, Students' Centre, and the Hotel as a priority but this will also depend on the interests of the investors.

The Director PDD, Dr. Florence Nakayiwa, commented:

Twelve firms have so far responded to the call. These firms are comprised of both building companies and transaction advisors. We are glad that the market is receptive to this call. We have now asked them to undertake feasibility studies of the different projects and report back by September 2014. We are optimistic that ground works will begin as soon as we have all the appropriate processes in place.

According to Dr. Nakayiwa, the Marshall Plan is a smaller component of the Master plan. In the Master plan, aspects like zoning, age of buildings, utility distribution, traffic flow and future use of available space are considered; whereas the Marshall plan is only focusing on key building projects as derived from the Master Plan.