Pupils shun govt school as land conflict escalates

The land squabble between the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and a family that claims to belong to Muzzanganda, a former foundation body of Nakivubo Settlement Primary School, has been blamed for the high dropout rate at the school.

A member of the School Management Committee (SMC), who preferred anonymity said that pupil enrollment at the government-aided school has dropped from about 300 learners in 2023 to about 200 this year.

“When parents hear that the school is closing anytime because of the conflict, they take their children to stable ones. The school has also lost donor support because of such confusion. There was a time when the donors wanted to renovate the dilapidated classrooms but they changed their mind when they learnt about the current land conflict,” he noted.

Nakivubo Settlement Primary School located adjacent to Owino market in the city centre sits on about 4 acres of prime land.

Mr Salim Uhuru, the Mayor of Kampala Central Division, said the Muzzanganda, a foundation that originally owned the land onto which the school stands, was compensated when the government through KCCA, took over the management of the school.

“That property belongs to KCCA. The Muzzangandas were compensated. That is the truth. The school is under KCCA and we are going to renovate it and also construct a skilling centre there,” he said.

“Most of the properties in the school are being rented out. Right from the toilets, there are restaurants, stores, lodges and parking spaces within the school premises. That school needs an overhaul so that the children can come back,” Mr Uhuru observed.

Mr Prosper Rwamasaka, the Manager of Education Services at KCCA revealed that one of the head teachers recently deployed at the school resigned prematurely due to the threats triggered by the land conflict.

“The school is at the centre of our heart. Land insecurity at Nakivubo is about to end. We got assurance from the registrar of companies that they had officially proved that people don’t own that land. Once this problem is addressed, it will solve the attendance problem. The school has had poor enrollment due to the conflict,” he acknowledged.

Mr Charles Maginot, the acting director of Education and Social Services at KCCA said the Authority has had a long-standing conflict with individuals, who claim to be part of the Muzzanganda that reportedly founded the contentious school.

“The school was founded by Muzzanganda and the Muzzanganda that was registered it is not the Muzzanganda currently claiming its ownership. The matter is in court and hopefully, it will clear that matter,” he stated.

It is reported that the faction of Muzanganda currently runs a pre-primary school on the same piece of land.

One Mustafa, who claims to be the Chairperson of the Muzzanganda Foundation insists that they are the rightful owners of the land and the school.

“We are the rightful owners of the land and the school. We are not aware of the Muzzanganda that KCCA claims to have compensated. We are considering reclaiming the management of the school, renovating it and boosting its enrollment,” he said.

A copy of the report submitted by the faction of Muzzanganda to KCCA in 2011, indicates that Nakivubo Settlement Primary School was founded on March 30, 1954, and was handed over to KCCA in 1956 and the school was formerly registered as a government school on January 1, 1961.

Upon the subdivision of plots 20-22 Nakivubo Place, Plot M.77 and M.78 were created upon which the school was located on plot M.78.

Originally, plot 20-22 Nakivubo place measuring 8.13 acres was leased to the then-registered trustees of Muzzanganda on March 1, 1962, for 99 years by the then Kampala City Council (KCC).

However, the said lease was surrendered back to the KCC on April 30, 1966.

The Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago said public schools in Kampala continue to lose land to grabbers and that concerted effort is needed to preserve these schools for low-income city dwellers.

Lukwago also alleged that some city tycoons were behind the grabbing of the school land.