Construction of sh3.32b seed secondary school commissioned in Hoima city
Wataka said the project will include an administration block, a multipurpose block, an ICT and library block, eight classroom blocks, a sports pitch, sanitary facilities and two-in-one staff quarters, among other structures.
Hajji Baduru Mugabi, the Hoima City Resident City Commissioner commissioning the project, as Hoima city Mayor Insingoma (2nd R), Barnard Wataka (R), the director BAM Construction and Surveyors Ltd, among other officials looked on. (Credit: Peter Abaanabasazi)
HOIMA - Authorities in Hoima City have officially commissioned the construction of Nyarugabu Seed Secondary School in Hoima West Division.
The 10-month project is being implemented by BAM Construction and Surveyors Ltd with funding from the World Bank.
Speaking on June 30, 2026, during a briefing on the project, Barnard Wataka, the director of BAM Construction and Surveyors Ltd, said the project is being implemented through the Ministry of Education and Sports under the Uganda Secondary Schools Expansion Programme at a cost of sh3.32 billion.
He said the government handed over the project to the contractor in March 2026 and that all the buildings are now beyond the foundation stage.
Wataka said the project will include an administration block, a multipurpose block, an ICT and library block, eight classroom blocks, a sports pitch, sanitary facilities and two-in-one staff quarters, among other structures.
Julius Kyomuhendo, the Hoima West Division mayor, described the construction of the seed secondary school as a major relief for parents and learners in the area.
He said the absence of a government secondary school had forced parents to enrol their children at Bugambe Secondary School in Kikuube District and Duhaga and Kitara secondary schools in Hoima city, a challenge that has contributed to school dropouts, especially among children from vulnerable families.
Hoima city mayor Edward Insingoma commended the government for funding the project, saying it would boost development and improve education standards in the area.
He said the school would save children from travelling long distances to access secondary education and reduce the number of pupils dropping out after Primary Seven.
Speaking after the groundbreaking ceremony for the project on Tuesday in Kyarugabu Ward, Hoima West Division, Hoima city resident city commissioner Hajji Baduru Mugabi said the construction of the school is part of the NRM government's commitment to establish a secondary school in every sub-county and division to bring secondary education services closer to communities.
He, however, warned the contractor against carrying out shoddy work, saying the project must deliver value for the money invested by the government.
Mugabi also called on residents to embrace and take ownership of the project to ensure its sustainability and prepare their children by ensuring they complete Primary Seven and enrol at the school.
He said one of the recurring challenges is that the government invests heavily in such projects, only for communities to abandon them after completion.
Hoima city principal education officer Johnson Kusiime Baigana urged local leaders to closely monitor the project and protect it from criminals targeting construction materials.
He expressed concern over the increasing vandalism of materials at government schools, including lightning arresters, windows and doors.