By Ali Mambule and Conan Businge

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has called for a quick review of the performance of the Universal Primary Education programme (UPE).

The President said the review would help in establishing the cause of the big number of primary leaving examination (PLE) failures.

“I am going to sit with the district leaders and other stakeholders. We shall find out whether the problem is caused by insufficient funds or whether this money is being misappropriated,” Museveni said.

“We are paying for these pupils. Why then are the children not performing well?”

Museveni was on Saturday presiding over a fundraising ceremony for St. Charles Lwanga parish church in Namabaale, Masaka district.

The function was meant to raise funds for building the priest’s house and purchasing furniture for the church.

The President handed over sh10m to the Bishop of Masaka Diocese, John Baptist Kaggwa, as his contribution. He asked the bishop to pick sh26m from State House next week.

The President also raised sh4m from auctioning a cow.

Museveni disclosed the need to review the UPE programme as a response to complaints by various speakers about the deteriorating standards of primary education in Masaka district.

He said he was surprised that Rakai, which receives about the same UPE funds every year (about sh1.3b) as other districts, had many failures in PLE.

“We have to find out the reason why the children do not perform when we send the money,” the President vowed.

Last year’s PLE exams recorded the worst results in the last decade. In just one year, the number of pupils who passed in division one reduced by half, coming down to 3.7% from 7.6% last year.

Statistics show 2002 as the best year in the last decade, having 8.9% of the pupils passing in division one. It is followed by 2003 and 2005, both at 11%.

Results released by the Uganda National Examinations board, showed that all districts and municipalities declined in performance.

Museveni said there is a possibility that those who are given money misuse it, leading to the increasing number of failures.

“If we discover that what we send to schools is not enough, that will also be addressed,” he promised.

Last year also registered the highest number of PLE failures in the last three years; increasing from 419,206 in 2007 to 463,631 this year.

Failures shot up by 14,221 in 2007, from those in 2006.

Countrywide, all districts declined in performance last year; including the best performing ones.

Museveni said the Government planned to build more classrooms in seed secondary schools. He said the money was available for developing the schools.

“We have friends who are ready to give us that money to construct more secondary schools,” Museveni said.

He said the Government would help Masaka district local government to improve the poor roads in the area.

“I am sure of the support I get from this district. NRM and I are not forgetful. We can’t forget your contribution, both in the liberation struggle and during elections,” he asserted.

The President explained that the road from Kyabakuza, Kiwangala, Makondo and Ndagwe to Namabaale would soon be repaired. He pledged to drill more boreholes in Ndagwe, Kooki and the surrounding areas.

“But that water (from the first boreholes) did not help you because it is salty. This means that there are minerals underground, which will be useful in the future,” Museveni said.

He said the Government would find other means of extending piped water to Ruhama, Isingiro and Kooki, whose water is salty because of the presence of minerals.

“We began with Lyantonde where we gave them water from Lake Kacheera, which is 18km away. Kabula’s water problem has now been solved. They are enjoying safe and clean water and they are now seeing the light,” he said.

Museveni said it would be cheaper to extend water pipes from Lake Kacheera to hills surrounding Bukoto Midwest. He said sh10b would be available in the next financial year to solve the Kooki water problem.

Eleven more dams will be constructed, he promised.

“I will personally ensure that electricity is extended further from Makondo to Ndagwe and Lwamaggwa in Rakai district,” he pledged.