10 Kampala public schools face eviction

Apr 01, 2015

APPEARING before the parliamentary select committee on public schools Jennifer Musisi suggested that govt lodges caveats on land on which govt grant aided primary schools are situated

By Joyce Namutebi

 

KAMPALA Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director, Jennifer Musisi has named over10 public schools in Kampala whose land is under threat.

 

In order to permanently bring an end to future give away of school land, she has appealed to Parliament to prevail upon Uganda Land Commission (ULC) to grant titles to KCCA in respect of school land, and to stop the wanton leasing of school land to private investors.

 

Appearing before the parliamentary select committee on public schools on Wednesday, she also suggested that government lodges caveats on land on which government grant aided primary schools are situated to secure its interest there in.

 

The committee chaired by Buvuma Islands MP, Robert Migadde was appointed by the Speaker following a petition to Parliament querying the selling off of school land. The latest school to fall victim was Nabagereka Primary School, which was demolished in January this year.

 

Musisi, who led a team of KCCA officials, named Buganda Road Primary School, Nakasero PS, Nateete Muslim PS, Muslim Girls PS, Bat Valley PS, Nakivubo Settlement PS, Kawempe Muslim PS, and Kasubi Family PS as some of the schools whose land is under threat.

 

She said that out of 80 primary schools in Kampala which KCCA monitors and supervises, the authority only has legal ownership of five schools namely Kamwokya PS, Kyaggwe Road PS, Bukasa PS, Kansanga PS and Kisaasi PS.

 

“The rest of the schools are hosted on land which is owned by other controlling authorities such as Uganda Land Commission, Buganda Land Board or faith based organisations. Only a few schools are on land owned by private individuals,” Musisi said.

 

She explained that since its inception in 2011, the authority has undertaken steps to regularize government’s interest in the land on which various school facilities are situated but their efforts have not yielded much success especially in regard to schools on land belonging to ULC.

 

“Despite several reminders to the said commission, it insists that there are no policy guidelines to guide the commission in leasing land to other government agencies, and that the commission does not grant leases to government bodies,” Musisi told the MPs.

 

“We also pray that government comes out strongly to condemn the actions of ULC on wanton leasing of school land to private investors,” she said

 

She revealed that KCCA applied to Buganda Land Board for leases in respect of schools located on land owned by the board and that there has been significant progress in this regard.

 

For primary schools on land belonging to faith based institutions, she stressed the need to enter into agreement with the foundation bodies to clearly define the interests of government.

 

On Nabagereka PS she said; “KCCA only learnt of the transaction when the head teacher of the said school was served with an eviction notice by the developer to vacate the school.”

 

The MPs, however, directed her to demolish the fence that had been erected after demolition of the school.

 

The MPs were shocked to learn that a one Muhammad Katumba, who claims that Natete Muslim PS belongs to his family, occupies one of the classrooms.

 

The MPs also asked for information on Mbuya Army School, East Kololo, Kampala Kindergarten and Namungoona Kigobe PS. 

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