The government of Uganda under the NRM introduced the Universal Primary Education program in 1997 as part of the National policy to provide free education to underprivileged children and successful enrollment has been achieved over the years.
The government annual capitation grant per pupil is Ugx 20,000 or Ugx 6000 per term for three terms and Ugx 330 per day for the roughly estimated 60 days in a term since classes run from Monday to Friday, and funds are remitted depending on the enrollment figures submitted by the district officials.
Yesterday, the office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) in conjunction with the office of the National Chairperson NRM coordinators for Greater Masaka embarked on a fact-finding mission to check on the alarming figures submitted for the next financial year 2023/2024 by the district education department considering two schools that are Makoomi p/s and Lwenkuba p/s in Butenga rural s/c and Butenga t/c respectively.
In Makoomi p/s the head teacher Mr. Kityo James submitted an enrollment of 580 pupils and on headcount, the figures were 118 pupils. In Lwenkuba p/s the headteacher Ms. Nakintu Victoria submitted enrollment of 461 pupils and on headcount, the figures were 30 pupils.
This implies that, the headteacher Mr. Kityo James received Ugx 11,600,000 for FY 2022/23 instead of Ugx 2,360,000 and Ms. Nakintu Victoria received Ugx 9,220,000 instead of Ugx 600,000.
The RDC Mr. Kalema Pax said, ”I sensed something wrong regarding these figures after which I embarked on a fact-finding mission. The government is wasting over Ugx 50 billion country-wide buying scholastic materials for UPE schools. These headteachers are aided by the district education department to siphon all this much amounting to millions of money for the last years by overstating enrollment figures for pupils. What shocks me is that the inspector of schools had just conducted his supervision rolls and didn’t highlight this intense corruption.”
The RDC instructed the arrest of both headteachers who were later released on Police bond as investigations continue.
Reported by; ONC Media.
