The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Bukedea, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The administration of Acomai Primary School in Kamutur sub county in Bukedea district, currently operates in a pit latrine after rainwater washed away the existing structures in the school.
Founded by the community in 2008, the government took over the school in 2012 after Bukedea District Local Government posted teachers to the school. The school had an enrolment of close to 1,000 pupils by the time government closed schools in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the school which was operating in temporal structures was recently affected by the heavy rains that swept away the buildings, leaving only the two-stance pit latrine standing in the compound. This prompted the school administration to shift all the office equipment including furniture, school records and textbooks among others to the pit latrine, which is also being used by the community in the neighbourhood.
Stephen Ogaali, the Deputy Head Teacher Acomai Primary School and only staff member found in the school told our reporter that they have written several reports to the district for help but nothing is forthcoming. He explained that several monitoring visits have been conducted at the school by both the local leaders and technical staff at the district.
Ogaali says that the school needs urgent intervention by the government to enable learning to resume when schools open next year. He told URN that in 2019, the district chairperson Moses Olemukan told the community that the council had allocated Shillings 119 million for the construction of classroom blocks but nothing has happened.
Jane Anyango Ogwang, the Bukedea District Inspector of Schools says that they have written reports to the district about the plight of the school but have not received any response. “The only person who can speak to you about that school is the Chief Administrative Officer because he has all the reports about Acomai Primary school. As education department, we have done our best to avail reports about the school”, she said.
Joseph Maira Mukasa, the Chief Administrative Officer of Bukedea says the district is conducting an assessment on the location of the school because of its vulnerability to waterlogging. Mukasa says that if the area doesn’t support the school, the district will consider transferring it to another place.
According to Mukasa, the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness also visited the school and pledged 200 iron sheets for the construction of the school.
Acomai Primary School is the only school in Acomai parish serving more than four villages in Kamutur sub county. The school is coded by the Ministry of Education and Sports with primary seven class.
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I thought all schools were closed due to Covid-19.
Is this school trying for cholera as well?
Also, the location of those pit latrines should be investigated because if they are indeed safe from flooding, which means they are built on high ground meaning that related to the water table, they are higher. this means higher chances of contamination of low ground water sources. Water in and around that area needs to be tested as soon as possible.
Instead of creating a false sense of urgency the school should be targeting January 2022 and looking at alleviating the effects of flooding for when the school opens. They should also be looking at proper sewage management to prevent contamination of community water sources.