300 pupils stranded as third term opens

LYANTONDE: A cloud of uncertainty looms over the reopening of Ronald Ruta Nursery Day and Boarding Primary School in Lyantonde District for the third term on Monday, after court bailiffs and police evicted the proprietor ,claiming that he failed to honour a court order.
Last week, court brokers together with police threw out ,Mr Ronald Kashabe Kuta , the director of the school ,from the premises to install Mr Paddy Kabuye, a businessman who is said to have bought this school two years ago.

This came after the High Court in Kampala on September 16 directed David Semanda of Tuksem Associates to evict Kuta and his agents from the property located on Block 76 plot823,684 and 688 at Kabula, Lyantonde District, and handed over the premises to Kabuye .

It’s alleged that Ruta failed to pay Shs700m in damages when he dragged five people to Nakawa High Court Kampala in 2009 ,whom he accused of grabbing his land located at Kyabazala village in Lyantonde Rural, Lyantonde District.

According to the court ruling, Kuta was directed to pay the costs to the five defendants after failing to provide evidence pinning them .

After failing to pay the costs, between July and August 2013, Nakawa High Court advertised Ronald Ruta Nursery and Primary School which attracted Mr Paddy Kabuye ,a city businessman to buy.
Kabuye, who also owns two other schools in Kampala said that he got interest in the school after seeing it being put on sale.
“I decided to buy this school at Shs800m because I am an investor in the Education sector and I am capable of running it to its best” Paddy said.

However, Mr Kuta, who was at the school at the time of the eviction described the action by court bailiffs as illegal, saying he is still the rightful proprietor of the school. “These people you see here are thieves; don’t allow them in,”Mr Kuta shouted.

After the eviction was done Kabuye , assured pupils and parents that the school will open today for third term to enable especially Primary Seven candidates revise ahead of their final examinations on November 2 .

Lyantonde District acting Police Commander, Thomas Oyo, who accompanied court bailiffs, said he had to provide security to ensure that the court order is effected.

“Our work was to ensure to the exercise goes on smoothly, which we achieved,” Oyo said.

Police also ordered Primary Seven pupils who were studying in the holidays to go back home because they were at school illegally. Mr Oyo said Kuta will also be summoned to answer charges of inciting violence.
“We have so far arrested a school security guard for obstructing officers on duty and we were going to prefer charges of inciting violence, allowing pupils to study during,”He said.

Ronald Ruta Nursery and Primary School is having an estimated enrollment of 300 pupils and is among the best private primary schools in Lyantonde District.

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