The Minister for Local Government, Hon. Barugahara Balaam Ateenyi, has ordered the temporary closure of Namisindwa Secondary School after an inspection uncovered illegal school charges and poor sanitation at the government-aided institution.
Hon. Balaam made the decision during a fact-finding visit to the school, accompanied by fellow Cabinet ministers, area Members of Parliament, district leaders, and officials from the Ministry of Local Government. The team was assessing the school’s operations and the welfare of its students.
Addressing students, teachers, and the school administration during a school assembly, the minister revealed that investigations had established that the school had been charging each student UGX 65,000 despite being a government school where education is meant to be provided free of charge under the government’s policy.
He said both the head teacher and deputy head teacher admitted before the assembly that the collection of the money was illegal. Hon. Balaam immediately directed the school administration to stop collecting the fees and instructed parents and students not to make any further payments until the matter is resolved.
“Government schools are not supposed to charge learners any school fees. No student should continue paying this money until the issue has been addressed,” Hon. Balaam said.
During the inspection, the minister also expressed concern over the school’s poor sanitary conditions. He found that the pit latrines were full, posing a serious health risk to both students and staff. The lack of functional sanitation facilities had left students without proper toilets, creating an unsafe and unacceptable learning environment.
Describing the situation as a public health concern, Hon. Balaam ordered the immediate closure of the school to allow urgent corrective measures to be undertaken.
He directed the head teacher to ensure that all the latrines are emptied and restored to usable condition by Sunday to enable students to resume classes safely on Monday. He added that the exercise would be supervised by the area LC Chairperson to ensure compliance with the directive.
The minister also inspected the school’s main hall, which has reportedly remained in a poor state of repair for nearly a decade. He questioned how the school had continued collecting UGX 65,000 from students over the years without investing the money in improving essential infrastructure.
Hon. Balaam directed the school administration to use the funds already collected to renovate and cement the main hall, stressing that school resources should be managed transparently and used to improve the learning environment.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting learners from illegal school charges and ensuring that government schools provide a safe, healthy, and conducive environment for education.
