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Standing at 4,188 feet above sea level, this hill is called the ‘fountain of knowledge’ or ‘the hill of the learned’. This is because Makerere University, the first public university in the country, is located on this hill.
According to legend, this hill was once known as Bwaise. Then one day, one of the kings of Buganda stayed a night out with a woman and forgot to sneak back to his Mengo palace under the cover of darkness. When he realized that dawn had come while still in the concubine’s place, he reportedly exclaimed; “Ganno makerere”, meaning it has dawned without my realization. From then onwards, the hill reportedly came to be known as Makerere.
True or false, the landmark of this hill is Makerere University, started in 1922. At the base is Wandegeya shopping centre. Wandegeye is a place that never goes to sleep, with drinking and parting going on up to the wee hours of the morning. The youthful university students that frequent the place provide the catalyst to the revelry.
