Botanical Gardens | College of Natural Sciences

Background

The Makerere University Botanic Gardens (MUBG) started in 1946 as a teaching facility under the management of the then Department of Botany in the College of Natural Sciences. It is one of the most important sections used in botanical research, training in taxonomy and reference for many local and international researchers and research institutions.

Organization

It is about 1 hectare and has plants arranged according to families in what is termed order beds as well as theme beds as for succulents or according to habitat specifications like wetland and aquatic systems. It also has representation of some endemic and rare species introduced over the years.

Practical Classes

The plants in the garden are used for teaching family characters and affinities and are a source of materials for practical classes and research. A small section of the garden is set aside for experimental research by staff and students. The facility has, however, been run down through vandalism, with the green and orchid houses completely destroyed.

Our Mission

“To promote the training, research, conservation and appreciation of knowledge about plants for the benefit of all mankind”, is both freshly relevant and increasingly significant. Fortunately, the Garden’s sustained record of scientific research, training, conservation and stability create the conditions for it to make even more valuable contributions to scientific knowledge, public education, and the civic life of Makerere University, the nation, and the world in the decades ahead.

Digitizing The Botanical Gardens

The MUBG is presently implementing a project to digitize and database all the collections in the herbarium so that they can easily be accessed by other stakeholders both in the country and abroad for purpose of conservation and research. We wish to improve our living collection of endemic, rare, economically useful and globally threatened plants including the wild food crops. This is in line with the University’s vision of providing world class teaching, research and service relevant to sustainable development.

Botanical Gardens Database Development

The development of a comprehensive database of the collections and making it available for use to other stakeholders and refurbishment of the Botanic Garden for teaching, conservation and research, is partly fulfilling the University’s development strategies of developing information and communication technology within the University, and conducting research pertinent to environment management and nature conservation.