Wakiso schools offer 150 bursaries to children of Lubigi evictees

“The bursaries are open, but priority will be given to the children of those people who were evicted,” said Joshua Ssemakula, a director at one of the NAPSA schools called Raise up a child Schools.

Prospective beneficiaries hailing from Ganda-Nassere, Kiwuuwa, and Nansana West 11A, among other villages, have started registering for the offer which starts effective next term.

Ssemakula said he was following all the events as they unfolded since the demolitions started, which prompted him to engage his fellow directors to make an impact on lives of the affected children.

“The schools will pay full school fees for these children and the parents will only be required to pay school requirements,” he explained.

However, he raised challenges facing schools in Wakiso, including lack of electricity which disrupts learning processes.

“It is a walkable distance, but we don’t have electricity. We have over 100 computers but they are down because we are solar powered,” he said.

Wakiso Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Justine Mbabazi blamed area authorities for being reluctant when people were encroaching on those wetlands prior to their eviction.

Mbabazi also directed local leaders to make a full list of all affected people and submit to her office. “This will help us in prioritizing them in different government programs including the Parish Development Model and Emyooga,” she remarked on Monday at a meeting attended by parents.

Dr Rashid Lukwago, the head of Ekisaakate in Buganda who doubles as a school director in Namayumba, asked the beneficiaries to refrain from all political affiliations and focus on development.

“Your child’s education has nothing to do with politics. We intend to help parents take back their children to school”

What locals said

Nansana West IIA chairperson Dickson Mayiga revealed that he has been having over 200 evictees stranded at home.

“Some of them are still sleeping in makeshift tents because all their properties were destroyed. But I could say, there is some hope for these children,” he said, appealing to other schools to copy the same.

Evelyn Tusiime, a mother of five children in Ganda, said since NEMA demolished her house, all her children have been collecting plastic bottles to raise money for food.

“I appeal to the government to work with people coming up to rescue us to give us support so that our children can live a decent life like before,” she said adding that “…I had just completed building my house and they pulled it down which left me in debts and yet I’m even jobless now.”

Another parent of five children in Ganda, Enock Kisakye said the demolitions that took his home and business left them miserable. He however revealed that the bursary will give them a chance to smile again.

Father of seven, Musoke Kigozi, whose 15 buildings in Nansana West IIA were allegedly demolished, says he cannot raise money for the requirements to take back the children to school.

He has appealed to other people with an intention of helping to come and work with other school directors to clear for them school requirements.

“Some school requirements as per the circulars are above Shs500,000 which is way high for someone who is still looking for money to relocate from Lubigi,” Mr Kigozi said.

Thousands of urban dwellers were left homeless following the evictions which NEMA said aimed at ridding wetlands of encroachers.