Delayed Release Of Funds Affecting Schools Reopening In Uganda

School head teachers in Busia, Bududa and Mbale city have decried delayed release of funds meant for renovation and purchase of standard operating equipment as schools resume.

The government earlier promised to release Shillings 62 billion from the capitation grant to help schools prepare for the reopening.

However, some schools in Bududa, Busia and Mbale City said they are yet to receive this money which has made it very hard for them to renovate the schools or even purchase items meant to enforce the standard operating procedures.

In Busia, schools like Busia Secondary School, Busyabala Primary School, Majanji Primary School, Habuleke Primary School, among others are still in bad conditions and their hopes rest in the grants promised by the government.

The chairman of Busia Secondary Schools Head Teachers’ Association also the head teacher of Busia SS, Aggrey Mayende, said that most of the schools in the district lacked hand basic amenities due to lack of funds.

The head teacher Busyabala Primary Schoo, Alex Ogalo, said they were promised Shillings 1.5 million to buy the equipment, but they are yet to receive it.

Ogalo says that they decided to open in a staggered manner due to lack of enough classes to accommodate learners since 4 class room blocks were blown off in 2018 and there has been no intervention since then.

the Head Teacher of Bukonde Secondary School in Mbale City, Abubakar Masifa, said the school is yet to receive the money which had been promised by government.

According to him, they are using the scarce funds they have left in the school account as they wait for government to fulfill on its promise.

Meanwhile, the Busia Senior Education Officer, Gabriel Makanga, said that they are yet to get money to avail all the necessary resources as schools begin.

In Bududa, Micheal Natsami the head teacher of Mabono Primary School said they are finding it hard to enforce the SOPs because they do not have funds. He said the government promised them money but they have not seen it yet schools are open and they have children.