Lukwago requests govt to increase on funds for city schools

By Olivia Nabaggala

29^th March 2023

The Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has pleaded for more funding of government schools in the city.

Lukwago says that the Kampala Capital City Authority -KCCA political wing had budgeted 100 billion shillings to be allocated to 79 city schools in the financial year 2022/23, unfortunately they were given 48bn shillings which is too little to cater for such needs.

He made the call while officiating as the guest of honour at St. Peter’s Primary School Nsambya to mark the DEAR day that is designed to remind city dwellers including children to make reading a priority activity in their lives.

Before, the Nsambya Primary School Head Teacher Josephine Ssempewo Namusoke used this occasion to highlight some of the challenges they are facing among others; lack of adequate houses to accommodate staffs, inadequate furniture in the class rooms, library and staffroom, and leaking of some roofs of various classes.

He also noted old instruments for the school brass band that need to be replaced and an unfinished school perimeter wall which  is a priority to ensure safety of the learners.

In his response, Lukwago also made a commitment towards the leadership of the school to purchase new equipment such as furniture and the school brass band and urged pupils to embrace reading.

St. Peter’s primary school Nsambya is a Catholic founded, government aided school, started in 1907 by the mill hill father’s with 7 boys but currently has 3653 pupils and it’s said to be the biggest Universal Primary Education School in the country.

DEAR is Drop Everything And Read ,this is an annual day celebrated and this year it  has been driven under the theme Reading as a way of life, it’s  celebrated to address the poor reading culture among Ugandans.