263 pupils stranded at Govt school after Museveni block hit by storm

IGANGA, UGANDA: At least 263 pupils of Budhwege Primary School in Bulamagi Sub-county, Iganga District are lacking classrooms where to study from after the roof of their classroom block was blown away by a rain storm for good years back. This is a government school which was started in the 1990s with help of the community.

The said block was in 1994 commissioned by His Excellency the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni while campaigning for then MP Kigulu South and now the former vice president of Uganda, Hon Specioza Wandera Kazibwe on March 11, 1994.

Led by their LC1 chairperson Mr Bakasambe Andrew of Budhwege village during this holiday, locals say that the block was constructed by the community before being commissioned by the President who reportedly promised support to the school. The said block houses pupils of primary one, primary two and primary three.

“We constructed this classroom block as a community and in 1994 March 11, President Museveni commissioned this block and pledged support to this school. We constructed this block in our simple financial capacity as a community and it has been sheltering three classes of P.1, P.2 and P.3 with about 263 pupils,” Mr Bakasambe said before calling upon the government to intervene by renovating the block since it’s dilapidated. 

The councillor for Bukoyo parish in Bulamagi Sub-county Ms. Kulaya Zubeda says the school has always been supported by parents by educating their children about the school since it’s the nearest one in the community. She added that most donors fail to support the school after seeing the foundation stone which was laid by the president citing that it’s a project of the president.

“This is the nearest school in the community and we call upon our president who commissioned this block to intervene and help us renovate this structure. Some donors come here and fail to support us citing that it’s a project of the president. We also call upon our prime minister Rt Hon Robinah Nabbanja and DEO to join hands and support this school to get classes for our children because the three classes are currently sharing a school hall,” Ms Kulaya said.

Ms Kulaya added that the school lacks enough classrooms for the pupils and that teachers are forced to combine them in a single hall for lessons something which hinders their concentration. She said that they have always engaged relevant authorities to have the matter considered but all in vain.

Speaking to DailyExpress, the Resident District Commissioner(RDC) for Iganga district Mr Wandera Sadala said he received complaints from locals in Budhwege concerning the matter and he engaged the DEO about the same. He assured the community of Budhwege that the government is going to give the school, a two-classroom block in the next financial year.

“I got this concern from people of Budwege about the classroom block which was commissioned by President Museveni in 1994 but unfortunately affected by the storm and its roof blown away. I engaged the District Education Officer(DEO) Iganga and he told me that this school will be considered with a two-classroom block in the next financial year to help the pupils get shelter,” Mr Wandera said before assuring the locals that the matter is known to his office and that it will be sorted.

Budhwege primary school according to RDC Wandera, is among the schools which were brought to the attention of the prime minister’s office for relief iron sheets to roof the structure citing that they haven’t received the iron sheets but will allocate it to the school for roofing the affected structure as they also benefit from the two classroom block.

He however didn’t clarify if the dilapidated block will first be renovated before roofing it once they receive the relief iron sheets.