This article was published on the New Vision website on April 6, 2023
By Peter Abaanabasazi
Pupils, parents and teachers at St Peter Kigaya BCS Primary School in Buhimba town council have a reason to smile after Kikuube district local government gave the dilapidated school structures a facelift.
The renovation of the seven-classroom block funded under a sector development grant was implemented by Kona Company Ltd at a cost of sh140m.
Kikuube district Engineer Emma Arinaitwe said the renovation took three months and that under the project, the contractor replaced the old wooden windows and doors with metallic as well as re-roofing the structure with new iron sheets and timbers.
Charles Bigabwenkya, the headteacher of the school, said this was the first time the school, which was constructed in 1947, was being renovated.
Bigabwenkya added that the renovation of the school with an enrolment of 407 pupils and 10 teachers is a big relief given the situation of the community at the school they have been passing through.
He noted the situation would worsen whenever it would rain since the old roof has been leaking, adding this situation has been pushing the pupils out of the school.
Bigabwenkya commended the government for the initiative, adding the school is also facing the challenge of inadequate staff and a lack of staff quarters.
He urged the Government to address this matter.
Speaking during the commissioning and handing over of the structures to the school on Wednesday, Kikuube district deputy district education officer HanningtonAtugoza said as the education department, they are excited about the renovation of the school because the former school structure has been a compromising learning environment of the pupils.
He challenged the school management to properly use the structures and guard against people who may vandalise the facility and asked local leaders to mobilise parents to bring back the children to the school since the Government has improved structures and the learning environment.
Buihimba town council female councillor Susan Kabasindi commended the Government for funding the project, saying the renovation of the school was long overdue.
She added that they expected the renovation of the school to attract more pupils to the school and also enhance the improvement in the performance of the pupils.
Kikuube district vice-chairperson Vicente Opio said the facelift of the school was delayed due to a lack of adequate funds.
Reacting to the issue of staffing, Opio said the district is currently conducting interviews for teachers and promised that the school would benefit from the teachers being recruited.
Kikuube Resident District Commissioner Peter Bisoborwa said many schools were founded by religious institutions and that the Government just came in support.
He urged the founding board not to abandon its supervisory role to ensure that schools continue shining.
He challenged the teachers not only to focus on teaching the pupils to pass exams but to also focus on discipline to nurture holistic future leaders.
