Katonga principal flees as strike enters second week

Mpigi- A students’ strike at Katonga Technical Institute in Nkozi Sub-county, Mpigi District has entered a second week, paralysing operations at the institution.

Members of the Board of Governors on June 21 started the strike. They were later joined by students, parents and teachers, accusing the principal, Mr Sulaiman Sseggane, of running down the seven-year-old institute.

The students led by their guild speaker, Mr Enock Luyiggo, accuse Mr Sseggane of absenteeism and failure to provide them with decent accommodation.

The students claim they are forced to share single beds while others sleep on the floor. They also complain of poor feeding and lack of learning materials.

On their part, the teachers, especially those on part-time, claim that they have not been paid their salaries for six months.

Daily Monitor has also learnt that the school lacks a library where students can conduct their research. Workshops including a section of electrical installation department lacks electricity despite being extended to the institute three years ago.
Last week, a combined force of riot police and soldiers from Katonga army detach intervened and temporarily restored calm by addressing students in the presence of their parents.

However, despite maintaining presence of armed security men at the institute, the students have continued with the strike and refused to resume lessons, saying teachers were also not ready to teach.

Although Mr Joshua Rugwiza, the officer-in-charge of Nabyewanga Police Post, resolved to temporarily close the institute until district education officers address the concerns, students refused, saying they were not ready to go back home.

According to Mr Rogers Ssejjemba, the chairperson board of governors, who also doubles as Mpigi District speaker, students will only resume classes after the dismissal or transfer of the principal.

Mr Sseggane has not stepped at the institute ever since chaos broke out. “We are not going to allow him [principal] to step here again. We want the Ministry of Education to intervene and transfer him to another institution. He has run down the institute and has failed to account for more than 30 sewing machines meant for practical lessons,” Mr Ssejjemba said during an interview on Wednesday.

The issues
He said parents decided to join students in the strike to express their disillusionment with poor management of the institute after failing to get assistance from concerned authorities.

“We have written several letters for almost five years seeking for a replacement of the principal, but all concerned offices including the line ministry decided to keep a deaf ear. Therefore, we are here to chase him away,” Mr Ssejjemba added.

Last week, the strike also paralysed businesses in the nearby townships of Kakoni and Ggolo in Nindye parish.
“We are in fear of losing our property because angry students are here. I heard that they have started stealing cassava, fruits and everything which is edible from gardens but I am yet to confirm this allegation,” Mr Herman Ssempijja, a resident of Kakoni Trading Centre said.

According to Mr Mohammed Ssembuuze, one of the board members, the institute has been facing several managerial and financial challenges.

“Can you imagine, the recruited teachers who are on government payroll are always absent. We received information that the principal has his own technical institute in eastern region where he spends most of his time. We need education authorities to set up a probe committee to find out what went wrong,” he said.

Our efforts to get a comment from the principal were futile since he did not to answer our repeated telephone calls.
Ms Safina Musenne, the commissioner in-charge of Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training in the Ministry of Education, didn’t also pick our calls, but Mr Deogratius Ssekyole, the Mpigi District education officer, said the ministry had dispatched an official to make a report on the situation.

“We shall convene a stakeholders meeting before next week to pave away forward,” he said.

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