Alupo orders transfer of Kyambogo land

By Innocent Anguyo

EDUCATION minister Jessica Alupo has directed the ministry’s permanent secretary Dr. Rose Nassali Lukwago to help the Education Service Commission acquire two acres of land from the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC).

The Education Service Commission had earlier written to the education ministry, requesting to be given two acres of 10-acres of land owned by NCDC on Kyambogo Hill in Kampala.

The Education Service Commission chairman Lubega Wagwa says the land would be used to construct headquarters for the institution established in 1995 largely to recruit and maintain quality personnel for Uganda’s education system.

In a phone interview on Sunday, Alupo confirmed having issued the directive for the transfer of the land, saying she had asked Dr. Lukwago to expeditiously facilitate the transfer of the land from NCDC to Education Service Commission.

“These are sister institutions and there is nothing wrong with them sharing land. A concentration of education institutions on Kyambogo Hill will not only lead to economies of scale but it will equally make the area a one-stop-centre for education services,” said Alupo.

“The money for constructing the Education Service Commission headquarters is catered for under their vote. All that is left is for them to acquire the land.”

Other education institutions on the aforementioned hill include-Kyambogo University, National Council of Higher Education, Nabisunsa Girls School and Kyambogo College.

On Friday, when the Education Service Commission launched its strategic plan at Hotel Africana in Kampala, Lubega noted that only the lack of land stood in their way of constructing an office block.

 “The lack of office space has been, and continues to be a challenge to the commission. In the next five years the commission plans to construct its own office block. The current challenge we have is land acquisition,” said Lubega.

Speaking to New Vision on phone, Rogers Irumba, the principal public relations officer of the education service commission said they had reached an agreement with NCDC on the acquisition of the land that will eventually see the latter occupy one floor of the building constructed.

“This move of education service commission and NCDC sharing usage of properties such as land and building would be in line with new government policy of concentrating related academic institutions in one place,” Irumba noted.

At the launch of the Education Service Commission 2014-2019 strategic plan, Alupo   said the blueprint would enhance the quality of education as emphasis was laid on efficiency and effectiveness of personnel.

She said plans were in advanced stages to build headquarters for the education ministry in coming years.

“It seems we are like nomadic pastoralists, moving from one place to another. We were once at crested towers and now we are at Legacy towers-this movement makes us lose lots of documents in the process,” said Alupo.

The strategic plan will focus on- reviewing the existing polices, recruitment of qualified personnel, advising government in respect to education policies and their implementation, construction of office block and establishment and maintenance of  a record of public officers in the education service.

The strategic plan is expected to guide the commission in planning and budgeting for its annual and medium term activities with the view of responding to both sectoral and national issues.

In a bid to achieve the above, the education service commission plans to spend about sh34b between now and 2019.