The Ministry of Education and Sports has suspended operations of Namisindwa Senior Secondary School in Namisindwa District over allegations of poor sanitation and illegal charges imposed on students. The decision was reached on Wednesday 16, following an inspection of the government-aided school by the Minister of Local Government, Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi.
The ministers allegedly found that the school, with an enrolment of more than 600 students, had no functional toilet facilities despite receiving government funding.
According to Barugahara, the inspection established that the school receives approximately 44 million shillings in government capitation grants every term, but learners were studying in an environment with inadequate sanitation facilities, raising concerns about their health, safety and welfare. The minister said he immediately consulted the Acting Minister of Education and Sports, John Chrysostom Muyingo, and the state minister for Regional Affairs, Simon Mulongo.
The leaders resolved to temporarily close the school until Monday to allow the administration to address the sanitation crisis. The Ministry directed the school management to urgently empty, rehabilitate and restore the existing pitlatrines to a safe and usable condition before learners can return to school.
The inspection also revealed that the school had allegedly been charging each student 65,000 shillngs contrary to government policy on free education under the Universal Secondary Education (USE) programme and presidential directives prohibiting unauthorized charges in government-funded schools.
Barugahara directed the headteacher and other officials responsible for the school’s management to report to relevant investigative agencies to explain the alleged misuse of public funds and the collection of unauthorized fees from learners. “We were deeply concerned to discover that the school has no functional toilet facilities despite receiving government funding. The welfare and safety of learners must always come first,” Barugahara said.
He warned that government would not tolerate actions that compromise the welfare of learners or undermine public education policies. “Any individual found abusing public resources or disregarding government policy will be held accountable in accordance with the law,” he added.
Namisindwa District LCV Chairperson Emma Bwayo welcomed the ministry’s intervention, saying the district leadership had also been concerned about the state of sanitation and management practices at the school. He said the temporary closure should serve as an opportunity for the administration to address the challenges and restore public confidence in the institution.
Bwayo urged school managers to prioritize the welfare of learners and ensure strict compliance with government education policies. “The closure is unfortunate, but the health and safety of our children cannot be compromised. We support efforts to improve sanitation standards and ensure that all government resources meant for learners are properly utilized,” Bwayo said.
The temporary closure is expected to give the school administration time to rectify the sanitation challenges as investigations into the institution’s financial management continue. Government says it remains committed to ensuring safe learning environments and strengthening accountability in the management of public education institutions across the country-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
