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Shs5b technical institute abandoned two years later
Walking. A student walks to class at Kilak Corner Technical Institute in Pader District where teachers have not been paid for the last 10 months. FILE PHOTO
Pader- Two years after its commissioning, Kilak Corner Technical Institute in Pader District has failed to attract students to enrol for various courses.
The institute is among nine other technical institutes and 42 secondary schools that were built and renovated by government with support from the African Development Bank (ADB) and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) two years ago.
The government’s decision to construct the institute was informed by the big number of uneducated and unemployed youth affected by the two decades’ Lord’s Resistance Army [LRA] insurgencies in the region.
The institute was also built to improve on the livelihoods of youth through offering low cost vocational skills training.
Despite the Shs5.7 billion funding, the institute has failed to meet its objectives.
A week ago when Daily Monitor visited the facility, thick wild bushes had engulfed most of the buildings, leaving only the administration building visible.
The facility built by Techno Three Uganda Limited, was established to offer certificates in metal fabrication, agricultural mechanics and concrete works.
But two years down the road, several machines meant for practical courses in woodwork and metal works still remain uninstalled by the contractor.
According to Mr Gregory Kasapuli, the principal of the institute, there are only 80 students out of the projected 350.
Mr Kasapuli said part of the facility has been swallowed in the wild bushes because government has failed to provide enough manpower and financial support.
“Up to now, some units have no instructors and some equipment have not been installed by the contractor,” Mr Kasapuli said.
He explained that the 80 students cannot raise enough money to pay hired instructors through Parents Teachers Association funding.
Mr Kasapuli revealed that the contractor supplied computers and internet cables which were not fixed and that only a few of the installed instruction machines are functional.
He noted that the technical institute suffers logistical issues such as lack of a vehicle and firewood.
Blamed
The Pader District chairperson, Mr Largo Oringa, however blamed the institution’s woes on the management and governing body, saying they have failed to mobilise and attract more students.
“Every time the governing body clashes with the lower management everything gets messed up. At one point we had to arrest the principal because he had failed to implement resolutions passed by the district to improve the school,” Mr Oringa said in an interview with Daily Monitor recently.
Mr Oringa said they will write to the ministry of Education to intervene in the matter.
“We shall petition the ministry to do a full change of the institute’s management. How can they fail to even clean the compounds?” he wondered.
Shoddy works
Meanwhile, the quality of the construction work done by (Techno Three Uganda Limited) has come under criticism by the district authorities over cracks in the of walls of the new buildings.
The walls of the main administrative block, dormitories, the principal’s residence and other buildings have cracks.
Last year, the former district chairperson, Mr Alfred Akena, threatened not to receive the institute on behalf of the district over the alleged shoddy work.
In a letter to the Education ministry, Mr Akena decried the quality of work and misuse of government funds.
Last year, the then chairperson of Parliamentary Education committee, Ms Sylvia Ssinabulya Namabidde, declined to release the report of their findings about the institute. This was after the committee visited the facility towards the end of 2015.
Mr Ransit Singh, an employee of Techno Three [U] Ltd, in a telephone interview refuted allegations over poor quality work. “We executed our work in line with our agreement with the ministry of Education and whatever is missing, let the ministry explain,” Mr Ransit said.
Also affected
Last year, it was reported that Lyantonde Technical Institute located in Kaliiro Sub-county 14 kilometres from Lyantonde Town Council, had only 17 students.
