Four teachers held over inciting students to strike, beat head teacher
Students walk in the proximity of Kibaale High School in Kibaale Town Council, Namutumba District on March 28, 2023. PHOTO/RONALD SEEBE
What you need to know:
- Kibaale High School, a government-aided school in Namutumba District, started the new term in uncertainty with two head teachers.
Four teachers of Kibaale High School, Kibaale Town Council in Namutumba District have been arrested for allegedly inciting students to strike and beat their head teacher, Fred Kagoye Samanya, who has rejected his transfer to Kibuku Secondary School in Kibuku District.
Since the term began, the S1-S4 school with about 500 students has been run by two head teachers, including Stephen Mutono, who reported on February 6 and signed in as “new head teacher.”
Namutumba District Police Commander (DPC) Hebert Nuwagaba said the teachers, whose names he didn’t disclose, are in their custody making statements on charges related to helping students to strike.
“Yes, we have them (in our custody) as our investigations go on,” he said on Tuesday, adding that their alleged leader mobilised students to leave their classrooms and start beating Samanya.
Thomas Matende, the Namutumba Resident District Commissioner (RDC), said the quartet was arrested for reportedly mobilising students to strike, which he added was unnecessary at such a time when the school lacks a substantive head teacher.
“We propose that teachers keep teaching and leave the Ministry of Education to do its work. The ministry is aware of what is taking place at Kibaale High School,” he said before naming the alleged group leader as Martin Kajjari.
Mutono, however, blames the district leadership for allegedly blocking him from entering the office while reportedly backing Samanya.
“I am not accessing the office because I am being blocked by district authorities,” he said.
James Magumba, a board member, said: “Since the beginning of March, teachers opposed to either head teacher have been on strike and have failed to understand that issues of determining who the next head teacher is are not their mandate.”
David Mukisa, the Namutumba District LC5 chairman, said he wrote to the teachers after getting information that they were planning to strike and notified them that their strike was illegal.
“I also told them that those who are not willing to teach should seek a transfer instead of striking,” Mukisa added.
