Angry parents raid school to oust headmaster

Angry parents have raided Nabikabala Primary School, Kiwanyi Sub-county in Namutumba District to oust the Headteacher, Mr Davis Ronald Mudasi, who they accuse of poor performance.

Led by the vice chairperson of the School Management Committee, Ms Monica Namuyaga, the parents also accuse Mr Mudasi of misappropriating Universal Primary Education (UPE) funds, selling the school’s African Teak (Mvule) trees, and asking parents for money (Shs2,000) to construct a toilet.

Parents, who first raided the school last Friday but didn’t find Mr Mudasi, raided the school again on Monday morning and this time found his deputy.

The furious parents arrived while drumming, prompting some teachers to flee their classrooms for fear of being harmed.

A meeting was hastily convened in the school hall, which was chaired by the Inspector of Schools in charge of counselling and guidance, Mr Aggrey Baligasima, who represented the District Education Officer (DEO), Mr Isiko Mohammed.

According to Ms Namuyaga, Mr Mudasi has failed to develop the school and is always late. “He (Mudasi) abandoned his role and it is the Deputy Headteacher who is currently running the school’s programmes,” Ms Namuyaga said.

She added: “For that reason, we ask the DEO and the office of the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer to immediately work on his transfer before Primary Seven candidates sit for their final exams.”

This year’s Primary Examinations (PLE) start on November 7 (Tuesday) with a briefing of candidates and end on November 9 (Thursday).

Ms Edith Munyole, the area LC1 chairperson, who is also a parent at the school, accused Mr Mudasi of allegedly failing to improve the school’s performance, adding that last year, all 54 Primary Seven candidates failed.

Mr Yunus Segonga, another parent, said Mr Mudasi allegedly does not allow pupils, whose parents failed to pay a “toilet fee” of Shs2,000, to access the place of convenience.

“On some days, during break time, he sends pupils, whose parents did not pay Shs2,000 for constructing the toilet, back home to ease themselves before they enter class for afternoon lessons,” Mr Segonga said.

He added that in most cases when such children go home, they do not return to school for afternoon lessons.

Mr Mudasi, however, says all the allegations against him are political, but admits that teachers do not teach because they are "stubborn".

He also denied misappropriating any UPE money, saying he's been at the school for only a year claiming that most funds came when he was heading another school.

On the school’s poor performance, he said: “The records I found at the school for last year's PLE results indicate that all candidates failed, but it is not me who failed them because I was not the school head at the time."

Mr Mudasi further commented on the toilet issue saying that the parents agreed to pay the amount for the construction of the toilet because the school didn't have one.

Mr Baligasima asked the parents to allow Mr Mudas to complete this (third) term.

“I promise you that he will not be around next year. We cannot transfer him now because we are in the middle of a promotional term,” he said.