Hundreds of primary, secondary and tertiary school bursars from more than 30 districts across Eastern Uganda have converged in Tororo District for a digital financial management training aimed at improving accountability, transparency and efficiency in the management of school finances.
The training, organised under the Uganda National Bursars’ Association, seeks to equip school accountants with skills to transition from manual bookkeeping to modern digital financial management systems.
According to the Principal Human Resource Officer at the Ministry of Public Service, Stella Aarakit, participants were taken through key areas including budget preparation aligned with government programmes, procurement procedures, and asset management and disposal in government institutions.
Organisers say the shift to digital systems is long overdue, noting that many schools continue to suffer financial losses due to human error, poor record keeping, and weaknesses associated with manual financial transactions.
Moses Meregulwa, Head of Education Sector at SurePay, said digital financial systems would help schools safeguard funds and strengthen accountability.
He noted that cases where school fees collected from parents are diverted to unintended uses could be significantly reduced through digital payment and financial management solutions.
The bursars welcomed the initiative, saying digital systems would eliminate persistent challenges such as missing financial records and make retrieval of information faster and more reliable.
The Chairperson of the Uganda National Bursars’ Association, Henry Tasaga, said loss of manual records has for years frustrated school accountants, but digital systems will provide secure storage and easy access to financial information.
Beyond digital skills, the training also provided bursars with a platform to raise concerns about their welfare, particularly low salaries despite handling large school budgets and significant responsibilities.
Aarakit acknowledged the concerns, noting that bursars are calling for government to upgrade the position of Senior Assistant Secretary to Accountant in schools with large enrolments, arguing that the current designation does not reflect their workload.
Founded in 2015, the Uganda National Bursars’ Association brings together bursars nationwide to advocate for professional welfare, engage government on policy issues, and promote networking and financial support among members.
