MASINDI | MEMORIAL SCHOOL | PLEDGE | MUSEVENI

Residents of Kikingura village in the Bwijanga sub-county are unhappy with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni over his failure to fulfill a pledge to construct a memorial school.

According to the residents, in 2016, while campaigning at the Kikingura trading center, which is about 20km from Masindi town, Museveni promised to construct a memorial secondary school, a road, and a bridge across the River Kafu connecting the districts of Masindi and Nakaseke.

The President is also said to have promised to extend electricity to the area following the tremendous contribution made by residents during the National Resistance Movement (NRA) war.

Impact of war

Speaking during a community meeting organized by Recreation for Development and Peace (RDP) Uganda on October 27, 2022, at Kikingura trading center, area LC1 secretary Solomon Kiirya Baruzarire said when NRA rebels attacked Masindi artillery barracks, they rested at Kikingura Primary School.

"They used this same road to transport the guns from Masindi artillery barracks to Bulyamusenyi in Ngoma Nakaseke district." We also mobilized young people from this area to join the struggle. We would recruit them during the market. We played a big role. That's why the President should remember us for the great work we did," Kiirya said.

"People in this area died, the property was destroyed, animals were lost, and the people lived in great fear. A secondary school in this area is something which Museveni can use to thank us. I also participated in the recruitment," Kirya, who has served on the LC1 committee since 1986," said.

He also faulted the area leaders for not following up on the matter, saying that the President had made the promise, but wondered why it wasn't being affected.

Kiirya commended the President for extending electricity to the area in 2016.

Schools expected to cut dropout rates

The district councilor representing Bwijanga sub-county, Nicolas Babweteere, said the secondary school will help address many challenges, such as high school dropout rates, and also improve academic standards.

He said that the neighboring government-aided schools are very far from the area, hence making it difficult for children to access secondary education.

"The nearest government secondary is about 10 km away." Most of our P7 leavers do not progress due to the lack of a government-aided secondary school," he noted.

School to serve over 10 villages

If the school is granted, more than 10 villages, including Byebega, Byerima, Kihaara, Kyamaiso, Ntooma, Kyamarolere, Kyandangi, and Kaiha, are expected to benefit.

Babweteera added that area leaders have tried to follow up on the matter in vain.

Earlier quests 

"Last year, I presented the matter before the council and we asked Masindi chief administrative officer Phionah Sanyu to write to the President, but we have never gotten any feedback.

When the residents asked Sanyu to respond to the matter, she referred them to Masindi Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Emmy Ngabirano, since he is the President's representative in the district.

Ngabirano, who was also present during the meeting, assured the residents that he was going to follow up on the matter and give them feedback.

"I have taken note of the issue of the memorial school and the construction of the road. I am going to follow up on them," he said.

When New Vision contacted Bujenje County Member of Parliament Kenneth Kiiza Nyendwoha, he said he wrote to the President about the same issues early this year.

"I got a response on the issue of the bridge only. The President wrote to works minister Katumba Wamala, directing him on the issue of the bridge. I am expecting it to be worked upon in the financial year 2023/2024," Nyendwoha said.