EBOLA: Gov’t to transport learners in districts under lock down

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government through the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education and Sports will transport learners from and to Kasanda and Mubende districts for their holidays when the term closes. The two districts are in lockdown announced by the government to contain the spread of the Ebola virus.

The Health Minister, Jane Ruth Aceng, said that this is aimed at avoiding huge numbers of learners in schools, which can facilitate the transmission of Ebola in case one learner is sick. She also said that the early closure of schools makes surveillance easier given the small number of learners.

She explained that learners that completed their Primary Leaving Examinations and Uganda Certificate of Education Exams (UCE) from Kasanda and Mubende districts will converge at Nkoba primary school in Kasanda town and Kasenyi secondary school in Mubende municipality on November 14, 2022, where buses will pick them and transport them to Mityana town school in Mityana municipality, Buhinga stadium in Fortpotal City and Booma grounds in Hoima where their parents are to pick them.

She said that the learners from other parts of the country hailing from Mubende and Kasanda districts will converge at Kololo airstrip where they will be transported to their homes. Learners from non-candidate classes will be leaving on November 25, 2022, following the same arrangements. Senior six candidates who have not yet started their exams and learners from technical institutes and polytechnics learners will be leaving on December 9th following the arrangement given by the ministry.

She advised the parents to liaise with Residence District commissioners to pick up their children from the designated points. According to Aceng, schools are required to record every learn for easy follow-up by the ministry.

Joy Kaduchu, the State Minister of Education, said that government will not provide feeding to learners who are currently at school waiting to be transported back home. At least 1,210 candidates completed their PLE and UCE in Mubende and Kasanda districts and 3558 non-candidates. Close to 1000 learners are expected to return to Kasanda and Mubende from different districts.

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