Church leases school to businessmen
Mar 11, 2009
THE Church of Uganda’s Busoga Diocese has leased out St. James Secondary School to businessmen in a bid to revamp the cash-strapped institution.
By George Bita
THE Church of Uganda’s Busoga Diocese has leased out St. James Secondary School to businessmen in a bid to revamp the cash-strapped institution.
The church-founded school located on Clive Road in Jinja town had hitherto operated as a private establishment of the church.
The Rev. Samuel Egesa, the diocesan secretary, said the school was leased to Simon Zaabwe, Geoffrey Kitakule and Fred Waiswa.
“The three belong to St. James Development Limited, which now holds a 49-year lease of the school. They are simply renting the church land and have not bought it,†Egesa told The New Vision on Tuesday.
He said the school, constructed in 1970, had accumulated a debt of about sh400m under the former headmaster, the late Singh Kurup.
Enrolment had also dropped from about 1,300 to 600 by last year, he said.
Teachers, who had not been paid for nine months also left the school, leaving a small staff, Egesa added .
“We have heard rumours that we failed to run our school and sold it to Muslims. This is not true,†he said.
Egesa said the church lacked enough money to run the institution.
Sources said under the agreement, the investors would clear the debt and also allow the church to influence the composition of the board of governors.
Zaabwe, also an old boy of the school, said the takeover would restore the former glory of the school.
THE Church of Uganda’s Busoga Diocese has leased out St. James Secondary School to businessmen in a bid to revamp the cash-strapped institution.
The church-founded school located on Clive Road in Jinja town had hitherto operated as a private establishment of the church.
The Rev. Samuel Egesa, the diocesan secretary, said the school was leased to Simon Zaabwe, Geoffrey Kitakule and Fred Waiswa.
“The three belong to St. James Development Limited, which now holds a 49-year lease of the school. They are simply renting the church land and have not bought it,†Egesa told The New Vision on Tuesday.
He said the school, constructed in 1970, had accumulated a debt of about sh400m under the former headmaster, the late Singh Kurup.
Enrolment had also dropped from about 1,300 to 600 by last year, he said.
Teachers, who had not been paid for nine months also left the school, leaving a small staff, Egesa added .
“We have heard rumours that we failed to run our school and sold it to Muslims. This is not true,†he said.
Egesa said the church lacked enough money to run the institution.
Sources said under the agreement, the investors would clear the debt and also allow the church to influence the composition of the board of governors.
Zaabwe, also an old boy of the school, said the takeover would restore the former glory of the school.