13 Primary Seven leavers held hostage over fees

Police have stormed Glory Nursery and Primary School, in Buwaya village, Mayuge District and rescued 13 Primary Seven candidates who had reportedly been held hostage for close to a week over fees balances.

The school, with both day and boarding section, was on Sunday raided following reports that the administration had stopped the pupils from reuniting with their parents after sitting their Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).

Mr James Mubi, the Busoga East police spokesman, said the pupils had outstanding fees balances of more than Shs1m.

He added that the school management allegedly confined five girls and eight boys in nearby rented houses which act as dormitories and confiscated their property shortly after sitting for their last paper on November 5.

“We found them (pupils) confined in rooms near the school, with the director demanding that parents first clear their fees balances before they are set free. This was an illegal detention centre because the children had finished doing their exams and were supposed to return home,” Mr Mubi said.

He added that the pupils were living in filthy conditions besides the poor accommodation.

The pupils said the director threatened to take them to police if they tried to escape and return home.

“I owe the school Shs300,000 but after completing my last paper, the director confined us in a dormitory and demanded that only those whose parents clear fees balances will be freed,” said one of the affected pupils.

“Life here (in confinement) has not been good because sometimes we get a single meal a day and I also miss my parents,” another pupil added.

When news about police’s presence at the school circulated, some of the pupils’ parents showed up and lamented how they had pleaded with the director to free their children in vain.

Most of the parents said whereas they owed the school money, they were financially crippled to clear their obligations within the shortest time as demanded by the director.

Mr Christopher Mulondo, a parent, said: “I came to pick my child hoping to clear the balance of Shs300,000 after two weeks but the director refused to hand him over to me. I’m now worried because the child is sick and has not been getting medication.”

Mr Michael Iguru, the school director, however, told police that confining the children was part of ‘an agreement’ he made with the parents, adding that he was demanding over Shs1m from the affected pupils.

Mr Mubi, in a telephone interview on Monday morning, said parents had started picking their children on Sunday following a police directive that they are immediately handed over to their parents.