With just a few days remaining to kick start the academic calendar of the year 2024, rift has erupted between government and the Church of Uganda over the management of church founded government schools.
The conflict has resulted into indefinite closure of two schools in Nansana municipality, Namirembe Diocese.
The two affected schools are Kakerenge C/U Primary school and Kungu C/U primary school both found in Gombe Division.
In a statement, Rev Nathan Mulondo the Secretary for education in the Diocese faults the local govt of Nansana municipality for under looking the church when it comes to decision making in the management of church founded schools.
“We have closed the two schools as Namirembe Diocese because the leadership at Nansana Municipality have shown that they no longer want to work with us in the management of the education sector within their jurisdiction. They no longer want us to participate in the management of our founded schools as they have always denied us chance to decide on the headteachers and the entire adminstration of these schools” read part of the statement released Tuesday January 30, 2024.
Rev Mulondo said that by policy, the management of government aided schools but church founded is collectively done by both the central government and the church. However the church was left out during the recent transfers of headteachers, their deputies and in the appointment of management committees.
He added on that, the decision to close the two schools was reached after the church petitioned the municipality in a series of correspondences addressed to the education department and the town clerk over the matter but in vain.
By the time of this publication, the municipality or the ministry of education had not responded on the matter
