Release report on inquiry into mismanagement of UPE and USE funds

May 31, 2011

LAST year, President Yoweri Museveni instituted a judicial commission of inquiry into the mismanagement of Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Secondary Education programmes’ funds chaired by Justice Ezekiel Muhanguzi.

LAST year, President Yoweri Museveni instituted a judicial commission of inquiry into the mismanagement of Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Secondary Education programmes’ funds chaired by Justice Ezekiel Muhanguzi.

The President’s directive followed reports that despite the huge funding to education, he gets complaints that there is shoddy work in the construction of schools; some schools are not completed yet money is sent and the number of pupils in schools is not what is reflected on the records.

As a new minister of Education and Sports embarks on her new role to address the challenges in Education, the findings of this probe should be her starting point. The probe, which covered over 11,000 primary schools and 4,000 secondary schools should be availed immediately.

Sources privy to the probe, say the commission encountered complaints against the education ministry. While meeting district chairpersons, internal security officers, resident district commissioners, chief administrative officers, school inspectors, engineers and district education officers of seven central region districts, the commission discovered that vices, including creation of ‘ghost’ teachers, head-teachers, pupils and schools were rampant.

The money for the ghosts is remitted by the Government and is never returned. Other vices like absenteeism, high school dropout rates, frequent transfers, lack of accountability for funds, lack of school registers and lack of inspection were also common.

The recommendations of the commission will largely address the challenges facing the education sector, and, therefore, would be timely to assist the new leadership at the ministry to transform the sector.

Arthur Baguma Nsimomwe
Editor
abaguma@newvision.co.ug


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