Learners in five schools within Masindi Municipality—Biizi Primary School, Kyema Primary School, Kamurasi Primary School, Nyamigisa Boys Primary School, and Kabalega Primary School—continue studying in structures that were condemned years ago, raising concerns over their safety.
At Biizi Primary School in Biizi Cell, Kikwana Ward, Nyangahya Division, 390 pupils attend classes in structures deemed unfit by engineers due to their deteriorating state.
The condemned block accommodates six classes, from nursery to primary five, as well as the head teacher’s office and staff room.
Founded by Catholic missionaries in 1948, the school has since received two new classrooms, constructed by the church, which currently house primary six and seven.
Betty Kyomuhendo, the Secretary for Education at Masindi Municipal Council, acknowledged the risk but pointed to limited resources as a major constraint.
“It is very risky. As a municipality, we condemned the structures, but it is unfortunate that school administrators continue to expose these innocent souls to danger,” she said.
Kyomuhendo explained that while some funds have been allocated for renovations, they remain insufficient.
“We have received funds from the central government, but they are inadequate. This financial year, we will renovate Kyema Primary School, while Kamurasi Primary School will follow next year, with Biizi and Nyamigisa Boys Primary Schools in line after that.”
Masindi Municipality receives between Shs 100 million and Shs 110 million annually, along with iron sheets from the Office of the Prime Minister.
However, Kyomuhendo described this as “just a drop in the ocean” given the dire state of schools in the area, especially as enrolment continues to rise without a corresponding increase in funding.
Municipal Mayor Ronald Businge Kyomuhendo echoed the call for more government support. “We have talked and written letters to the concerned ministries and departments, but the response has been minimal,” he said.
As the municipality struggles with inadequate infrastructure, pupils in these schools remain at risk, studying in structures that experts warned could collapse at any time.