Gomba School stuck with two headteachers after one rejects transfer

GOMBA, UGANDA: A primary school in Gomba district has been shrouded in controversy after their former headteacher rejected a transfer to another school at the beginning of the second term.

Ms Agnes Nanyonjo formely headteacher of St. Augustine Nakulamudde Primary School was transferred to Bukandula Church of Uganda Primary School at the beginning of the second term but rejected the transfer citing personal reasons.

In the reshuffles made, St. Augustine School received Ms Madrine Gwaaliwo, former head teacher of Kabulasoke Demonstration School as its new headteacher but for now three weeks, she has failed to access the HeadTeacher’s office as the Ms. Nanyonjo still claims to be the substantive head of the school.

In fact, Ms Nanyonjo has since her transfer kept the office of head teacher under lock and key since the term started as Ms Gwaaliwo executes her duties from the staffroom.

A survey by local publication DailyMonitor reported that the confusion at the school made pupils miss lessons during the first week of the term as Ms. Nanyonjo kept all classrooms closed, which prompted local leaders led by Mr. Rogers Ssemyalo, a councilor representing Kabulasoke Sub County to break the padlocks.

According one of the Old Boys at St. Augustine school, Ms. Nanyonjo’s action has paralyzed the normal operations of the school and need to be reprimanded. “She [Nanyonjo] rarely comes to the school, but  I hear she claims she still has unresolved issues with the district education department,” Mr Edward Ssali, an old boy of the school during an interview with DailyMonitor on Tuesday.

“What hurts me is that she [Nanyonjo] has continued to cause commotion at the school and the district officials are simply looking on, it was our individual effort to break the paddocks to enable pupils access the classrooms,” he added.

Mr. Sliveriyo Kyambadde, the chairperson of the parents and teachers association said Ms Nanyonjo was acting head teacher and posting her to another school, as deputy head teacher seems to have annoyed her.

“Ms Nanyonjo was simply an acting head teacher and when she received her transfer letter from the district education officer Mr Godfrey Kalyango earlier before the second term opened, she refused to relocate to her new work station for reasons best known to herself ,” he said.

Mr Godfrey Kalyango, the Gomba District Education Officer, said they have conducted more than four meetings to have Ms Nanyonjo’s issues resolved, but the latter has adamantly refused to relocate to her new workstation.

“That lady has become stubborn as the district education department, we have forwarded her issue to the chief administrative officer,” he said.

Ms Nanyonjo’s transfer, according to Mr Kalyango was based on the school’s dismal performance in the 2020 Primary Leaving Examination (UPE), where 13 candidates passed with second grade and five were in third grade whereas the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) withheld results for 32 candidates over suspected malpractices.

Gomba District Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Joseph Kisubi, said Ms Nanyonjo had already been summoned to appear before the district disciplinary committee.

“We hope this time she will show up and explain why she refused to go to her new workstation where she was posted,” he said.

When contacted, Ms Nanyonjo declined to comment on the matter, insisting that she will give her explanation to the disciplinary committee.

“Please wait for me the disciplinary committee, that is when I will talk about those issues, not now,” she said.