Ministry yet to clear King David Junior School reopening
“We visited the school on Friday, met the teachers and directors of the school. We discussed with them the strengths and gaps that needed to be fulfilled before the school can officially reopen,” said Lwanga.
A parent with her son at King David Junior school. (Photos Nicholas Kajoba)
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King David Junior School's planned reopening on Monday has been thrown into doubt after education officials said they have not yet authorised the school to resume classes, despite parents already being told to bring their children back.
The school, which was closed after the July 17, 2026, bus crash that claimed the lives of 24 pupils and its director, Tadeo Ssekadde, will only be allowed to reopen once the Makindye-Ssabagabo municipal town clerk gives the final approval, inspector of schools Robert Lwanga told New Vision on Sunday (August 2).
“We visited the school on Friday, met the teachers and directors of the school. We discussed with them the strengths and gaps that needed to be fulfilled before the school can officially reopen,” he said.
Lwanga said that during the inspection, officials assessed issues such as the number of teachers, security, environmental maintenance through cleaning and spraying, accommodation, and classroom blocks.
Parents at King David Junior School after the accident recently.
Lwanga advised parents and the school directors to wait until the Ministry of Education, through the town clerk's office, officially communicates the reopening date.
Earlier, the school had informed parents to bring their children on Monday, August 3. The assistant director of the school, Bosa Margaret, said they had already communicated the reopening plans to parents.
Bosa said the school is now being managed by a team of directors led by Prossy Ssekadde, the wife of the school's late founder, together with teachers and church leaders.
“We are now prepared to run the school properly with our new director, Mrs Ssekadde, who will be assisted by a team of great teachers. We call on our parents to bring their children back to school next week,” she said.
She added that the school will hold a requiem Mass on Friday next week for all those who died and for the pupils who survived the tragic accident.
The Ministry of Education closed the school for two weeks following the bus crash that claimed the lives of 24 pupils and the school's director, Tadeo Ssekadde. The accident occurred at Kaserem along the Kapchorwa-Mbale road on July 17.
The school had a total enrolment of 217 pupils from Primary Three to Primary Seven, accompanied by 20 teachers on a field trip to Kapchorwa and Sipi Falls.