All city schools must stay
Feb 19, 2009
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has directed Kampala City Council (KCC) authorities not to displace primary schools in Kampala for the benefit of private developers.
By Fortunate Ahimbisibwe
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has directed Kampala City Council (KCC) authorities not to displace primary schools in Kampala for the benefit of private developers.
The directive has already been passed over to KCC.
Museveni has, therefore, asked mayor Nasser Ntege Sebaggala to halt the plan to turn Nakivubo Blue Primary School into a taxi park, his press secretary, Tamale Mirundi, said yesterday.
The plan, the President said, was unacceptable because it affected the children of the poor who work and live in Kampala.
“Primary schools in Kampala should be protected against any form of encroachment by people who want to grab land,†Tamale quoted the President as saying.
The schools should instead be upgraded to accommodate more pupils, Museveni argued.
Nakivubo Blue Primary School has 900 pupils under the Universal Primary Education programme.
Museveni said he sees children of the poor walking to school in the morning.
“They cannot be displaced because they will not have where to study from,†he said.
In January, Ssebagala said Nakivubo Blue Primary School playground would be used as a temporary taxi park while the Old taxi park undergoes renovation.
Museveni said he had not acted because he was not aware that the schools were being displaced until he saw reports in the media, according to Tamale.
Some city councillors and the Kampala Central MP, Erias Lukwago, opposed the move.
The committee on public service and local government has recommended that Nakivubo Settlement, which has few pupils, should be merged with Nakivubo Blue.
The suggestion was also backed by former local government minister Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire.
Otafiire further said UTODA, a taxi association, which manages the two taxi parks, should relocate to Nakivubo Settlement.
Nakivubo Blue initially had 18 hectares of land but KCC has over the years allocated most of it to investors and army veterans.
There are other primary schools in Kampala under the threat of relocation.
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has directed Kampala City Council (KCC) authorities not to displace primary schools in Kampala for the benefit of private developers.
The directive has already been passed over to KCC.
Museveni has, therefore, asked mayor Nasser Ntege Sebaggala to halt the plan to turn Nakivubo Blue Primary School into a taxi park, his press secretary, Tamale Mirundi, said yesterday.
The plan, the President said, was unacceptable because it affected the children of the poor who work and live in Kampala.
“Primary schools in Kampala should be protected against any form of encroachment by people who want to grab land,†Tamale quoted the President as saying.
The schools should instead be upgraded to accommodate more pupils, Museveni argued.
Nakivubo Blue Primary School has 900 pupils under the Universal Primary Education programme.
Museveni said he sees children of the poor walking to school in the morning.
“They cannot be displaced because they will not have where to study from,†he said.
In January, Ssebagala said Nakivubo Blue Primary School playground would be used as a temporary taxi park while the Old taxi park undergoes renovation.
Museveni said he had not acted because he was not aware that the schools were being displaced until he saw reports in the media, according to Tamale.
Some city councillors and the Kampala Central MP, Erias Lukwago, opposed the move.
The committee on public service and local government has recommended that Nakivubo Settlement, which has few pupils, should be merged with Nakivubo Blue.
The suggestion was also backed by former local government minister Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire.
Otafiire further said UTODA, a taxi association, which manages the two taxi parks, should relocate to Nakivubo Settlement.
Nakivubo Blue initially had 18 hectares of land but KCC has over the years allocated most of it to investors and army veterans.
There are other primary schools in Kampala under the threat of relocation.