By KT Reporter
Hundreds of stranded parents on Saturday stormed Kampala Preparatory primary School in Kitebi Rubaga division demanding for answers from Ms Susan who serves as the resident director.
The parents had been angered after realizing that their children hadn’t been taught the whole of the preceding week because teachers and other staffers are on strike.
The strike is meant to protest poor welfare and the school owner’s failure/refusal to pay their salaries for the last 6 months. Led by master David, the teachers are demanding to be paid what belongs to them. The last time they got something small was end of march.
The parents were required to pay 100% of the school fees which is 1.2m per child at the beginning of the 3rd term yet their children won’t be learning because teachers say they are not ready to be exploited any longer.
It’s even worse for children in boarding section because the school doesn’t have water and electricity supply anymore after NWSC and UEDCL disconnected the service after bills accumulated.
The toddlers in the boarding section haven’t been eating because the cooks are on strike too protesting nonpayment of their salary. Parents are under pressure as children say they should get them new schools because there is no hope for KPS anymore. It’s against this background that parents used their WhatsApp group and organized/cordinated the Saturday morning raid at the school.
The school which has nice buildings has more than 700 pupils and every parent paid the 100% of the fees before the opening of the term because that is a requirement. Master David said during the Saturday impromptu meeting that was organized by resident director Susan that there is no hope things are going to ever get better.
He told the irate parents that he feels sorry for them because even when he is a teacher, he is a parent too and sees the injustice contained in someone paying 1.2m and their children end up not being taught and starved of the food parents have paid for. David said he rang the director Kazimiri earlier in the week calling on him to act justly but the director just shut him up with ‘why are you becoming a nuisance at my school?’
Master David said he has been threatened since that time by the director’s agents and fears his days are not going to be many on this planet earth. He told parents he is on their side but called on them to pray for him. Parents seemed reluctant that police or even the DEO can ever be of help to them.
The parents are fearful that once petitioned, representatives of those two offices will only use the information shared to solicit bribes and end up isolating the most outspoken parents for potential framing. It was clear their only hope is in Janet Museveni or the education committee of parliament.
During the Saturday meeting, Susan the resident director at the school tried to explain that the P7 learners hadn’t been affected but teachers stood up to say this was a lie. Susan also called on parents with last term balances to pay up so that the school gets money to pay the salary arrears for teachers. Teachers accused one of the female managers at the school of being extravagant and blowing school money having fun with a one Dos.
At some point, a teacher rose up and shut up Susan saying this all she said was a lie too because their salary arrears is too much and can’t be completed with the small balances that remain unpaid in school fees for 2nd term. Susan fled the meeting and locked herself in her car.
In her absence, the disgruntled teachers explained to the tearful parents that even the head teacher resigned and fled after being duped and exploited by the school owners for such a long time. The teachers informed parents that much as the money they pay via Momo pay reflects phone numbers which are in the head master’s office, the bitter truth is that the money goes to a bank account which only Kazimiri and Susan (they are siblings) have access and control over.
Indeed, all the cash has been withdrawn by Kazimiri and taken to some other safe bank account where the school creditors of Equity bank can’t have access to it. Kazimiri is involved in many businesses in Kampala but he is heavily indebted. He operates on loans from Equity bank which parents fear will soon be attaching the Kitebi-based KPS school to auction the land and the buildings to recover billions of shillings in unpaid debts.
Parents felt helpless and resolved to instruct a lawyer to officially petition the first lady Janet Museveni who is also the minister of education. They want the government to force Kazimiri to refund their money since its now clear the school won’t be operating for 3rd term. Parents with PLE candidates are even more worried and want Janet Museveni to quickly intervene.
Besides a palatial home, which may not survive court bailiffs’’ wrath, Kazimiri also owns and operates Akvoc international, a company which deals in the supply of solar equipment and installation.
As the scandal unfolds, nearby schools are most likely going to be beneficiaries from the chaos at Kampala Preparatory School as parents will be considering them to be a better option. Many say they saw all this chaos coming because KPS has every term been having new teachers, which signals remuneration and welfare-related dissatisfaction. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com.
