The Ministry of Education and Sports has re-advertised the tender for the construction of the long-awaited Pandwong Seed Secondary School in Kitgum Municipality after terminating an earlier contract due to a dispute over the project cost.
The project, estimated to cost more than 1.5 billion shillings, was initially expected to commence in April 2026. However, Kitgum Municipality Mayor Richard Ojara Okwera says the contract awarded to Bajaj Uganda Limited was cancelled after the company sought an increase of more than 25 percent above the agreed contract sum.
Ojara says attempts by the ministry to negotiate the proposed increase with the contractor failed, forcing the ministry to terminate the contract and restart the procurement process. The tender was re-advertised in July, with the procurement process expected to be completed in September and a new contract signed in October 2026.
Ojara says construction is expected to begin once the procurement process and other preliminary requirements are completed. Pandwong Seed Secondary School is part of the government’s Seed School Programme, which seeks to expand access to secondary education in underserved communities.
According to Ojara, the planned school will have 12 classrooms, with three classrooms allocated to each level from Senior One to Senior Four. The project will also include four science laboratories for Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Agriculture, an administrative block, staff facilities, teachers’ accommodation, a football pitch and perimeter fencing.
Residents have welcomed the planned construction, saying the school will reduce the distance learners travel to access secondary education while easing the financial burden on parents. Jackline Apiyo, a local business operator, says some learners currently travel about seven kilometres to Labongo Amida Seed School, one of the nearest government secondary schools serving the area.
She says bringing a secondary school closer to the community could improve attendance and help reduce dropout rates. “This school will reduce the distance learners have to walk and help address issues of dropout, particularly among girls,” Apiyo said.
Joyce Laker, a resident of Monbunyu in Pandwong Division, says the shortage of government-aided secondary schools has forced some parents to enrol their children in expensive private schools. Laker says the new school would provide a more affordable alternative for families struggling to meet private school fees.
“There is only one government-aided secondary school in the municipality, and it is all-girls. This makes it hard for us to pay for boys in the expensive private schools,” Laker said-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
