The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Luwero, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The High Court in Luwero has set April 17th, 2025 to deliver its ruling on the case filed by teachers against the Nakaseke LC 5 Chairman, Ignatius Koomu, and the district for subjecting them to competence exams. On Wednesday, both Koomu and Nakaseke Chief Administrative Officer, Sarah Nakalungi, defended their actions before Justice Rosette Comfort Kania.
The mock examinations, which were administered in March 2024, targeted 51 teachers from 17 schools to assess their competency in preparation for the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE). However, the initiative faced strong opposition from the teachers, who felt the tests were unjust and could lead to their removal from service.
Four teachers, including Mathias Mulumba from Timuna Primary School, Adam Kuvuna from St Kizito Kijjaguzo Primary School, Phanel Mugisha Godfrey from Nabiika Primary School, and John Ssemakula also from Nabiika Primary School, alongside the Uganda National Teachers’ Union, filed for judicial review at Luwero High Court. They argued that Koomu’s actions were illegal and amounted to harassment and degrading treatment.
The four teachers scored between 45% and 91% on the mock exams, but they contested the legality of the tests, stating that Koomu’s actions were beyond his mandate. They sought a court declaration that the examinations were null, void, and illegal. However, during Wednesday’s proceedings, the teacher’s lawyer, Zahara Tumwikirize of JByamukama and Company Advocates, informed the court that their response from Koomu and the district had been delayed, which prevented them from filing rejoinders in time.
Tumwikirize requested permission to withdraw their earlier submissions and file fresh ones along with rejoinders, which the court granted. Koomu’s lawyer, Sahid Kiwanuka Ochola, did not object to the withdrawal, and Justice Kania ordered that the fresh submissions be filed by March 13th, 2025. Koomu and the district are also required to file their rejoinders by April 4th, 2025.
Koomu, after appearing in court, reiterated that the intention behind the examinations was to identify competency deficiencies among teachers, not to degrade them. He maintained that the goal was to improve teaching standards and ensure better preparation for the PLE.
Meanwhile, Sarah Nakalungi, the Chief Administrative Officer, defended the tests, explaining that they were based on district council minutes and discussions with teachers’ meetings. She revealed that the tests had revealed that some teachers were competent but not teaching effectively due to side jobs, like riding boda bodas.
She further argued that the tests had helped identify weak teachers who needed closer supervision to improve the quality of education. Nakalungi also defended the testing process, drawing a parallel to her own annual performance reviews conducted by the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Public Service before her contract renewal. She said the pressure placed on teachers had led to positive results, with the performance of candidates improving since the tests were introduced.
Despite the significance of the case, none of the teachers who filed the lawsuit attended court, and their lawyer, Zahara Tumwikirize, declined to comment after the proceedings. Since Koomu’s initiative to exert pressure on headteachers and teachers, the failure rate for PLE candidates has drastically dropped, from 16.7% in 2015 to just 4% in 2024.
****
URN
