Lack of funds affects schools reopening in Busia, Bududa, Mbale

By Andrew Nakhaboya

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

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

However, some schools in Bududa, Busia and Mbale City that we visited said hey 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 SS, Busyabala P/S, Majanji P/S, Habuleke P/S, among others are still in bad conditions and their hopes only rested in the grants promised by the government.

Aggrey Mayende, the chairman of Busia Secondary Schools Head Teachers’ Association also the head teacher of Busia SS said that most of the schools in the district lacked hand washing facilities, sanitisers and even temperature guns due to lack of funds.

Alex Ogalo, the head teacher Busyabala Primary School said they were promised Shs 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 block was blown off in 2018 and there's no intervention since then.

Abubakar Masifa, the Head Teacher of Bukonde Secondary School in Mbale City said the school is yet to receive the money which had been promised by government. According to him, they are using the little money that had remained on the school account as they wait for government to fufill on its promise.

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

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