VANESSA A
The Chief Administrative Officer of Rukungiri District, Fredrick Byekwaso, has commended the discipline of students at Kyamakanda Secondary School and urged them to maintain focus, avoid drug abuse, and remain committed to their studies.
Byekwaso made the remarks on Tuesday during a visit to the school located in Buyanja Town Council. He applauded the headteacher and school management for instilling discipline among learners, noting that they are doing a commendable job. However, he also expressed concern over several uncompleted projects and pledged to mobilize support to address the school’s pressing needs.
He further appreciated the institution’s strong academic performance and assured the administration that the concerns raised—especially those related to increasing student enrollment—would be followed up, including the challenge of inadequate staffing and other operational gaps.
Byekwaso also thanked teachers for their dedication to educating Uganda’s children, describing teaching as a noble profession. He encouraged them to take pride in their work while urging students to remain disciplined, develop clear career goals, and resist negative peer influence.
He emphasized the importance of resilience, advising learners to handle disappointments positively and focus on their strengths, noting that success is not limited to science-related fields.
The school headteacher, Turyamusiima David Kapiira, expressed gratitude to the CAO for visiting the school, saying the engagement would bring positive change. He revealed that the school has an enrollment of 1,126 students and that most of the infrastructure has been constructed by parents over the past 40 years, calling on government support to improve facilities.
Kapiira acknowledged the government’s contribution through capitation grants, though he noted the funding remains insufficient compared to the growing student population. He added that only 22 out of 52 teachers are currently on the government payroll.
He highlighted key challenges facing the school, including inadequate classrooms, shortage of desks, lack of a functional science laboratory and library, insufficient ICT facilities, absence of a dining or examination hall, and lack of staff quarters. He appealed to the Ministry of Education, through the CAO, to provide funding to complete the dining/examination hall, as well as construct a 14-stance toilet to improve sanitation.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Mugabe Alex Nathan, said the school has made significant efforts to develop its infrastructure despite limited resources. He thanked parents for their continued support and trust, as well as students for maintaining discipline, which has contributed to good academic performance.
He encouraged learners to believe in themselves regardless of their backgrounds, reminding them that many successful people started with little. He also urged them to have faith in God as the source of success.
