The Ministry of Education and Sports has launched the construction of two seed secondary schools in Kamwenge District under the Uganda Secondary Education Expansion Project (USEEP).
The projects will be implemented at Bisozi Seed School in Nkoma Sub-county and Ntonwa Seed School in Ntonwa Sub-county.
The contract has been awarded to M/S Tamsak Development Link (U) Ltd of Entebbe following completion of the procurement process.
According to the ministry, construction works at Bisozi Seed School will cost Shs3.5 billion, while Ntonwa Seed School will cost Shs3.4 billion, both exclusive of VAT.
The projects are scheduled for completion within ten months.
The ground-breaking ceremony held on Friday was presided over by Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Minister Frank Tumwebaze, who urged parents to take full advantage of the new facilities once completed.
“We must embrace these projects as a community. When government brings such infrastructure closer to you, the responsibility shifts to parents to ensure that children are enrolled and kept in school,” Mr Tumwebaze said.
Kamwenge District Woman Member of Parliament Sylvia Bahereira Tumwekwase welcomed the development, noting that the schools will ease access to secondary education in the area.
“Once completed, these seed schools will significantly reduce the long distances our children walk to access secondary education. This will improve retention and ensure more learners benefit from free education under the government programme,” she said.
The Project Manager at the Ministry of Education and Sports, Eng Asaph Abenaitwe, confirmed that the contractor has signed the agreement and works are set to begin immediately.
“The projects are scheduled for completion within ten months. They will include six classrooms, an administration block, a science laboratory, a computer laboratory, a five-stance latrine, staff quarters, a playground, and an incinerator at each school,” Eng Abenaitwe explained.
He added that construction will be closely supervised to ensure quality standards are met and value for money is achieved.
“The works will be monitored by several government offices, including the Office of the State House and the Inspector General of Government, among others, to guarantee value for money and successful completion,” he said.
The establishment of the two seed schools forms part of the government’s broader efforts under USEEP to expand access to secondary education, particularly in sub-counties without existing government secondary schools.
Local leaders and community members who attended the ceremony expressed optimism that the projects will improve education standards and create new opportunities for learners across Kamwenge District.
