Pupils’ fate at stake as church plans to evict school
Mr Allan Ssewanyana, the Makindye West MP (right), with other officials tour part of the school premises set for redevelopment in Kampala yesterday. Photo by Abubaker Lubowa
Kampala- Hundreds of pupils from poor families of Makindye Division in Kampala face eviction after Namirembe Diocese working with a city tycoon, Mr Guster Ntakke, insist on evicting a public school.
The church has submitted plans to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) asking to replace the school with a commercial facility that will comprise a shopping mall.
Katwe Martyrs Primary, located near Muganzirwazza Plaza and Xing Xing furniture near Kibuye, is government-aided and under KCCA’s care.
The area Member of Parliament, Mr Allan Ssewanyana, yesterday accused the diocese of pursuing monetary gain at the expense of a better future for Uganda’s children.
Faulted
“It is below the belt for the Church to decide to replace a school with a shopping mall. The children about to be evicted are flocks in the Church. They deserve better from church leaders,” Mr Ssewanyana said.
The MP said he would seek Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga’s audience to see how the matter is presented before plenary today.
In a January 7 letter to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, the KCCA acting executive director of KCCA, Mr Andrew Kitaka, expressed worry about the Church’s insistence to evict the school.
“The future of the school is currently under threat with the foundation body declaring intention to construct a shopping mall on land that hosts the school,” the letter reads in part.
Mr Kitaka said KCCA received a development plan from the diocese that included construction of a shopping mall and redevelopment/relocation of the school.
“The applicants were guided to either abandon the proposed development in favour of maintaining the school or first develop a relocation site in the vicinity and shift the school prior to redeveloping the current site,” he stated.
However, Namirembe insisted with the relocation.
“The Bishop of Namirembe led a delegation to meet the then outgoing executive director…to request that the church is allowed to immediately proceed with the proposed redevelopment. This was not granted,” Mr Kitaka said.
Last plea
He said the school community and other stakeholders feel threatened.
“Against that background, and as a follow up on our earlier appeal to you, KCCA once again draws your attention to this matter and requests your intervention to save the school,” the letter adds.
But Mr Ssewanyana said there have been precedents where KCCA has written similar letters and schools have been taken.
Efforts to reach the Namirembe Diocesan secretary, Can Nelson Kaweesa, were futile as repeated calls received an SMS feedback stating: “I am busy at the moment. Please text.” Our messages were not answered.
When contacted, Mr Ntakke told this newspaper that he does act through the press.
“I don’t do things like that,” he said before hanging up.
