Prime
Minister orders defiant Namutumba head teacher to leave school
Ministers Persis Namuganza and John Muying pose for a photo with stakeholders and local leaders after a meeting to resolve an impasse at a government aided school in Namutumba District on March 29, 2023. PHOTO/RONALD SEEBE
What you need to know:
- The decision followed a stakeholders' meeting on March 29, 2023.
The Minister of State for Higher Education, Chrysostom Muyingo, has ordered the head teacher of Kibaale High School in Namutumba District, Fred Samanya Kagoye, to report to his new duty station, Kibuku Secondary School in Kibuku District.
Muyingo also revoked the letter posting Stephen Mutono to Kibaale High School as a new headmaster, saying “the ministry of education plans to send a new head teacher in a week’s time.”
Since the term began, the government-aided school with about 500 S1-S4 students has been run by two head teachers, including Mutono, who reported on February 6 and signed in as “new head teacher”.
This has since created division between students and teachers loyal to either school head, which culminated in the arrests of four teachers on Monday for allegedly inciting students to strike and beat Samanya.
During a stakeholders’ meeting at the school on Wednesday, Muyingo said following consultations with parents and reports from district authorities and security teams, the ministry has given Moses Bwana, the deputy head teacher powers to handle school activities.
“He will take charge as government plans to send a new head teacher. To bring sanity to the school, none of the [conflicting] head teachers is going to stay,” Muyingo emphasized.
He added that the law should prevail against the teachers who were arrested for allegedly inciting students to strike and beat their head teacher, while the ministry of education plans their transfer.
The stakeholders’ meeting was attended by, among others, parents, the area MP Persis Namuganza, Mariam Naigaga (Namutumba Woman MP), David Mukisa (LC5 chairman), Thomas Matende (RDC), and his deputy James Kyomya together along with the DPC Herbert Nuwagaba.
School governing board member James Magumba said they had rejected Mutono because of his alleged tainted record.
Samanya said he did not reject the transfer to his new station, but the new head teacher reportedly wanted to forcefully assume office.
“As a school founder, I wanted to be recognised for the good things I did for the school,” he added.
Minister Namuganza said: “We kept quiet thinking the situation would normalize but it worsened. We are not saying that both head teachers are bad.”
