Simpson M
Parents, local leaders, and the school administration of Kigarama Primary School in Ngoma Parish, Nyakishenyi Sub-county, Rukungiri District, are deeply concerned about the deteriorating condition of their school.
According to Ariho Alosias, the Chairperson of the School Management Committee, and Byamugisha Joseph, the Chairperson of the PTA, the school is in a dire state. The floors are dusty, there are no windows, and the roof was blown away by heavy winds. The walls are cracked, the timber is worn out, and the toilets are precariously supported by wooden pillars. Despite having an enrollment of over 150 pupils, the school only has one classroom block, which was built by a well-wisher, Father… [name not provided].
They highlighted that the government has abandoned the school, leaving it to the mercy of parents, who are too impoverished to maintain and support it adequately. Although parents have done their best, it is the government that is failing them.
The community members expressed surprise and frustration that the government is investing in schools that are in relatively better condition, while Kigarama Primary School, which is in a critical state, is being neglected. They urgently appealed to the government to enhance the educational standards in the area by providing better facilities for the school.
Danis Tukimusiimire, the headteacher of Kigarama Primary School, shared that since the school’s establishment in 1940, the government has never constructed any structure there. He added that whenever it rains, everyone at the school is anxious, fearing that the buildings might collapse due to their poor condition. The impending rainy season has parents worried that their children will have no shelter for protection.
Danis also pointed out that this situation negatively impacts pupils’ performance, as they are constantly preoccupied with concerns about the rain, leading to reduced concentration on their studies. He mentioned that he has repeatedly written to the concerned authorities, but his efforts have been in vain. It is embarrassing, he noted, that pupils from different classes have to share the same classroom due to a lack of infrastructure, exacerbated by the wind that blew off the roof of one classroom block that parents had constructed.
Allen Kenyangi, a parent at Kigarama Primary School, expressed her disappointment with the government for failing to support them in every aspect—poor roads, lack of water sources, inadequate health services, and the dismal state of schools. She questioned whether they are simply unfortunate, as essential services are severely lacking in their area.
Kenyangi added that parents are always in a state of panic whenever it rains, fearing for their children’s lives due to the unsafe condition of the school buildings. She called on the leaders to wake up and fulfill their responsibilities, warning that if they don’t, the community will no longer waste their votes on people who only serve their own interests.
