By Joyce Namugambe
Minister of State for Luwero-Rwenzori Triangle, Hon Alice Kaboyo, on Thursday delivered iron sheets to be used to roof dozens of schools in Luwero and Nakaseke districts in Central Uganda.
The Minister handed over the sheets to district leaders at a function held at the Luwero district offices.
The iron sheets are to be used to thatch some of the schools, which were affected by rains in the recent past, and others, whose structures are too old.
The Minister of State for Luwero-Rwenzori, Hon. Alice Kaboyo launched the distribution of iron sheets to the people of Luwero District and Nakaseke District
Luwero district alone will use the iron sheets on up to 19 schools in urgent need, according to the District Education Officer Florence Bossa Ssekitooleko.
Mrs Ssekitooleko told the Minister, that several of the over 700 primary and secondary schools, both private and government-aided schools have been in urgent need of these iron sheets.
She noted that in several of these schools, pupils have been studying under trees, since their classroom blocks were deroofed.
In some instances, the DEO said, parents have mobilized resources to construct new classroom blocks, but failed to complete them. These iron sheets, as such, she said, will be very useful in finishing such structures.
Minister Kaboyo in her speech, revealed that a total of 8,874 iron sheets had been procured by her ministry at a cost of Shs 631 million, to be distributed in this region.
“The iron sheets are to be distributed to vulnerable households and institutions. Our selection of beneficiaries concentrated most on primary schools,” she said.
Hon Kaboyo also informed the officials about a bigger plan being spearheaded by President Yoweri Museveni to reconstruct several schools in Luwero Triangle, mostly those that were affected by the 1980s war.
Kaboyo said, she had months ago commissioned an investigation about the state of schools in the region, which found that most were in a dire state.
“The report indicated that some of the schools were destroyed by the army during the wars. I sent it to the Minister of Education, who also wrote to the President asking for money to fix those schools. The grand plan is still not complete but it will find us moving,” she said.
During the meeting, officials asked the government to consider better staffing for schools and salary enhancements for those working in hard-to-reach areas.
“Having seven teachers for primary school is not sustainable,” said Stephen Batanudde, the Nakaseke District Education Officer.
“We have had cases where three of the seven teachers go for maternity leave. A primary school should ideally have at least 9 teachers, plus the head teacher,” he said.
Additionally, he said in the Nakaseke district, some sub-counties such as Kinyogoga, Kinoni, and Ngoma are hard to reach and the teacher retention rate is very low.
