Old Boys to revive Bukedi College

Donated. Bukedi College Old Students Association members contribute building materials worth Shs13m to rehabilitate the dilapidated school dormitories. PHOTO BY YAHUDU KITUNZI

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Decline. A former giant school in the country has had its enrolment drop from 3,000 students in 1999 to the 130 students.

BUTALEJA. Bukedi College Kachonga [BCK], formerly a giant school in the country, has lately had its enrolment dwindle to worrying levels.
Established in 1976 as a boys’ school in the greater eastern region, the school has seen the number of students drop from 3,000 in 1999 to the current 130 students.
Despite lowering the entry points for Senior One to 28 compared to the previously required eight, to attract more students, the numbers have remained low.
The problem has been partly attributed to the visibly dilapidated school buildings and alleged poor school administration.
Mr Gesa Nekemea Kabasa, the school chairperson board of governors, in describing the status of the school, said “it is in a coma.”
“It is not time for the blame game but we must agree that negligence was a major factor that greatly contributed to the fall of this great school,” Mr Kabasa observed.
The chairperson, Bukedi College Old students Association [BUCOSA], Mr Paul Walekwa, blamed the mess on poor administration.
“We need short-term solutions to revive the school as Old Boys and board of governors. We have started with rehabilitating dormitories, motivating teachers and students,” Mr Walekwa said.
He observed that the dormitories are in a sorry state and the teachers lack of accommodation.

Leadership
The district education officer, Mr Phillip Kalyebbi, attributed the low population at the school on leadership and politics.
“True the population of the school has gone down but this is characterised by a number of factors. We need to revive our school by solving such problems,” Mr Kalyebbi said.
BUCOSA chairperson, board of trustees, Prof David John Kabasa, said as a way of rejuvenating the school’s former glory, they have launched an Old Boys’ infrastructure scheme.
“We have also started with rehabilitating all buildings at the school, which are already in a sorry state, and we have also introduced academic awards to every best student’s in order to motivate them,” Prof Kabasa said.