Probe in schools starts in January

Dec 27, 2009

THE judicial commission to investigate the utilisation of funds in primary and secondary schools will start work in January.

By Conan Businge

THE judicial commission to investigate the utilisation of funds in primary and secondary schools will start work in January.

President Yoweri Museveni instituted the commission to find out about the weaknesses in the universal primary and secondary education programmes.

The commission also needs to make recommendations on how the situation can be improved.

The probe comes after the Government realised that many ‘ghost’ pupils and students were registered in schools all over the country and that funds were being misappropriated. More so, the quality of education in Government schools has been found wanting in the last decade.

The commission will also investigate the process of disbursing funds to the districts and schools, including the use and adequacy.

It will also investigate the causes of absenteeism and the utilisation of funds in the construction of government schools.

As soon as the commission’s budget is approved and funds disbursed, the commission will probe 15,000 primary and secondary government-aided schools in the country.

The commission’s secretary, Ketrah Katunguka, said the exercise has to be done within six months.

Katunguka said the commission has been promised funds off the budget of the Ministry of Education because it was formed after the national budget had been read.

MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION

Justice Ezekiel Muhanguzi (head of the commission)

He is a Judge of the Court of Appeal and a senior resident judge in Mbale.
He has worked with the Judicial Service Commission and as the chancellor of the Province of the Church of Uganda.
He holds a Bachelor of Law degree from Makerere University.
He is a born again Christian.

Katunguka (Secretary)

She is the acting commissioner in charge of Line ministries in legal administration services. She holds a Masters in International Commercial Law. She started working for the Government in 1993, and has served on a number of probes.
Katunguka was part of the 2005 team, which was constituted to investigate the Antonov crash. The team was asked to investigate and establish the cause of the accident in which all the six people on board died.

Dr Rose Nassali Lukwago (Deputy to the head)

She holds a doctorate degree in Education from the University of Bristol, UK and an International diploma in education planning and management from the International Institute for Educational Planning in Paris. She was recently appointed director of the Education Standards Agency in the education ministry and also joined the department of higher education as a part time lecturer.

Eng. Patrick Batumbya

He is a private consultant. He became managing director and principal engineer of MBW Consulting Engineers in 1996. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from Nairobi University.
He is also a fellow of the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers.

Lawrence Mukiibi

He has built five schools and a university in 14 years. He is the proprietor of St. Lawrence schools and university. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Makerere University.

He has taught in both Uganda and Kenya where he served as the headmaster of Afraha High School in Nakuru. He also worked as an examiner in the English Language with the East African Examinations Council. He served as the headmaster of Kampala Parents School in Uganda.

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