Prime
Karamoja school applied for iron sheets, never got
Mr Mark Lokiru, a community member, teaches pupils at Rise and Shine Community Primary School in Nakapel Village, Nabitulak District on March 22, 2023.PHOTO/SIMON PETER EMWAMU
What you need to know:
- Pupils at the school study under makeshift structures.
Last year, President Museveni pledged to provide iron sheets and goats to the people in Karamoja, following an appeal from leaders in the area who said it would help bring peace in the region.
One of those excited by the news was Mr James Icumar, the proprietor of Rise and Shine Community Primary School in Nakapel Village, Nabitulak District.
The school was grappling with finding shelter for its 170 pupils, who were studying under two grass-thatched structures .
ALSO READ: Ministers in iron sheets scandal speak out
Mr Icumar quickly applied for the iron sheets at the sub-county level. He said it was his desire to have the iron sheets secured so as to have the children study in a comfortable place, different from the setting in their makeshift structures.
However, while listening to the radio last month, Mr Icumar was shocked to learn that the iron sheets were given to ministers and not the intended beneficiaries.
He said he went to the sub-county to find about more about his application but was told “the entire district has not received a single iron sheet”.
Rise and Shine Community Primary School consists of a Baby Class and Primary One and Two classes.
Despite this, some older pupils still go to the school. As a result, the school set up an early child development centre.
They are currently constructing another mud and wattle structure to house Primary Three and Four pupils.
Mr Icumar said the school is the only alternative for the children here to attain elementary reading and writing skills.
His colleague, John Ikodet, said they requested for 60 pieces of iron sheets.
He said despite the set-back of the iron sheets, the community is supporting them to complete the building.
“As you were coming in here, you met our women returning from the jungle carrying poles,” he said.
Mr Ikodet, a Senior Four dropout, volunteers at the school as a teacher.
READ: Karamoja iron sheets: Time for govt to show will in ending corruption
This comes at a time when legislators from the Presidential Affairs Committee are in the region investigating the mismanagement of the iron sheets and goats meant for the people of Karamoja.
While appearing before the committee, the Nabilatuk Resident District Commissioner, Mr Kyeyune Sssenyonjo, said Nabilatuk has not received any iron sheets.
“I am left wondering whether the programme suffered stillbirth and was suspended,” Mr Sssenyonjo said.
Mr Sssenyonjo said the paper work for the presidential pledge was executed without the district’s knowledge.
“To be true to ourselves, the probe should dwell much on the people who handled the procurement process at OPM, what is happening here is just confirmatory,” he said.
Mr Ssenyonjo said out of the 6,240 goats that were meant to be handed to Nabilatuk, they received 5,290 while 950 are not accounted for.
He added that five companies including Kangwa Godwin Limited, Jolly Associate Uganda Limited, Bull Agri Supplies Limited, Kelab & Sons Limited, Gulik Global Technologies Limited and Jomali Holdings were contracted by the Office of the Prime Minister to supply goats.
We had not spoken to the companies by press time.
