Janet to commission works on education ministry offices
Uganda's first lady and education minister Janet Museveni addresses youth during the National Youth Convention at Kololo Independence ground on October 13, 2023. PHOTO/DOROTHY NAGITTA
What you need to know:
- The completion of the structures, designed to house more than 700 staff, is expected within two years from the date of commissioning.
The Minister of Education, Ms Janet Kataha Museveni, is set to commission the construction of the Shs63.9b Ministry of Education headquarters today.
The twin tower designated to accommodate all the departments under the Education ministry, which currently incur significant annual expenses on rent, will be located in Kyambogo, adjacent to Kyambogo Primary School near Kabaka’s palace.
In an interview with Monitor yesterday, the ministry’s public relations officer, Mr Denis Mugimba, said the construction of the buildings is financed by the government through a loan from the Islamic Development Bank.
Mr Mugimba said the headquarters will consist of twin towers, one with eight floors, and the other with 10 floors. Additionally, a 600-seat auditorium and two parking decks will be situated nearby.
The completion of the structures, designed to house more than 700 staff, is expected within two years from the date of commissioning.
“Upon completion, all the departments and agencies within the Ministry of Education will relocate to our new premises. Only the independent agencies, such as NCHE (National Council for Higher Education), will remain at their current locations,” Mr Mugimba said yesterday.
The Ministry of Education has been previously listed by the Auditor General as one of the government ministries and agencies spending substantial cash on rental expenses. In the last financial year’s report, it was revealed that the ministry spent around Shs5b on staff rentals.
Most of the offices used by the ministry’s technical staff, departments, and some agencies, including the Directorate of Education Standards, are currently rented.
These offices are located in private houses at Legacy Towers in Nakasero (accommodates higher education and basic education officers), Rwenzori Courts (housing various projects), and Statistic House, which is home to the Sports department, among others.
Headquarters
When our team visited the venue designated for the commissioning in Kyambogo, construction preparations were already underway, with tractors marking and grading the land.
The Ministry of Education joins a growing list of educational institutions situated in the same locality, including Kyambogo University, Uganda Business and Technical Examination Board (UBTEB), NCHE, Uganda National Examination Board (Uneb), among others.
Other government ministries with permanent offices include Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Judiciary, Foreign Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister, Parliament, Uganda Bureau of Statistic (Ubos) Uganda National Bureau of Standards (¬-UNBS) among others.
In 2021, the Minister of Finance, Mr Matia Kasaij,a revealed that all the government ministries and agencies renting private premises will be housed in Bwebajja Airport Hotel complex on Entebbe Road.
He said the decision was intended to save government expenditure on rent and ease coordination. Mr Kasaija said the government spends more than Shs100b annually on rent.
