Nkumba parents query leasing of school land to Asian investor
Sep 29, 2008
Parents of Nkumba Primary School in Wakiso have asked the school administration to explain how part of the school’s land was leased to an Indian investor, Amit Jain, without their knowledge.
By Gladys Kalibbala
Parents of Nkumba Primary School in Wakiso have asked the school administration to explain how part of the school’s land was leased to an Indian investor, Amit Jain, without their knowledge.
During meeting on Saturday, the parents learnt that an agreement was signed on November 3, 2007 between the school and R L Jain & Amit Jain to lease about two acres of land at sh200m for 99 years.
The parents accused Hoima resident district commissioner Martha Asiimwe, (who is also the chairperson of the Parents and Teachers Association) together with the school management committee chairperson Amon Muzoora and headteacher Aaron Sebunnya of making decisions without involving them.
Asiimwe said they leased the land in order to get funds for the school’s development projects.
The school is constructing classrooms and a dining hall and it needed money. “The construction will take about sh625m, which could hardly have come from school fees or donations,†Asiimwe said.
She added that the school had also accumulated a debt of about sh60m with the investor, who was threatening to take over the school, so they resolved to lease him part of the land.
The parents were told that Sebunya took a loan of sh10m from the investor to pay private teachers last year. The debt rose to sh60m because of interest.
The school, founded in 1954 by the Anglican Church, is now Government-aided under the Universal Primary Education programme.
However, Sebunnya says the boarding section is private, adding that in order to manage the big number of pupils, they needed to hire private teachers.
In a July 21 letter to the education ministry permanent secretary, Fred Kiberu, a member of the PTA cited the illegal sale of school property and intimidation from the executive for refusing to sign the agreement for the lease.
Parents of Nkumba Primary School in Wakiso have asked the school administration to explain how part of the school’s land was leased to an Indian investor, Amit Jain, without their knowledge.
During meeting on Saturday, the parents learnt that an agreement was signed on November 3, 2007 between the school and R L Jain & Amit Jain to lease about two acres of land at sh200m for 99 years.
The parents accused Hoima resident district commissioner Martha Asiimwe, (who is also the chairperson of the Parents and Teachers Association) together with the school management committee chairperson Amon Muzoora and headteacher Aaron Sebunnya of making decisions without involving them.
Asiimwe said they leased the land in order to get funds for the school’s development projects.
The school is constructing classrooms and a dining hall and it needed money. “The construction will take about sh625m, which could hardly have come from school fees or donations,†Asiimwe said.
She added that the school had also accumulated a debt of about sh60m with the investor, who was threatening to take over the school, so they resolved to lease him part of the land.
The parents were told that Sebunya took a loan of sh10m from the investor to pay private teachers last year. The debt rose to sh60m because of interest.
The school, founded in 1954 by the Anglican Church, is now Government-aided under the Universal Primary Education programme.
However, Sebunnya says the boarding section is private, adding that in order to manage the big number of pupils, they needed to hire private teachers.
In a July 21 letter to the education ministry permanent secretary, Fred Kiberu, a member of the PTA cited the illegal sale of school property and intimidation from the executive for refusing to sign the agreement for the lease.