The Alumni of St. Paul’s Mutolere Senior Secondary School in Kisoro district have requested the school administration to provide proper accountability of funds raised during a previous School fundraiser, back in 2014.
The former students, who attended a thanksgiving ceremony, yesterday at the school grounds in Mutolere, claim that the school has failed to account for the monies collected during the previous fundraiser.
According to some of the past students, no visible changes at the school indicate, that the funds collected in the last fundraiser, were put to their intended use.
The only, all boys’ secondary school in Kisoro district seeks to revive its image of past glory, having fully exhausted its fame of academic pedigree gained back in the 80s and early 90s, producing some of Uganda’s finest leaders in Politics, Business and the Arts.
The Church founded School has experienced its fair share of woes with violent strikes in the 90s and 2000s.
Worse still, is the poor academic performance in the classroom, which continues to taint the school’s hard earned name to this day.
The School’s head teacher Hygiene Behisya says the school has undergone significant transformation since 2017.
According to Behisya, the school is more than ready to open up its doors to learners interested in seeking a bright future.
“We can confidently say the school is on a positive trajectory. We shall not be defined by our most recent past and yet we have the capacity to revive our former name and even seek greater academic heights, Behisya said.
Behisya says the school currently has an enrolment of 380 students with a total of 36 teachers.
He says the school is still under utilized because it can accommodate over 1,500 learners comfortably.
“We envision having up to 1000 students in the next 10 years but this will require concerted efforts from teachers, parents, former students and the community at large, Behisya explained.
Thanksgiving raises financial Concerns.
A total of 19 Million Ugandan shillings was raised yesterday by a section of Old students who managed to attend the thanksgiving function at the school premises.
Hilary Bisanga, an OB at the school and Commissioner of Uganda Prisons in-charge of Logistics Management, who represented the Commissioner General Uganda Prisons Service Johnson Byabashaija commended the school administration for soldiering on despite having a negative history hanging over the school.
Bisanga further stressed the need for the school administration to brace for hard times because of the rise of many private secondary schools in the district that offer academic excellence and comfort to students.
He pledged to lobby for more support towards education, through Ubuntu Bafumbira United Association (UBUA) where he has been elevated to the position of chairperson until 2025.
Bisanga delivered a contribution of 4 million shillings; two million from Commissioner General Uganda Prisons Service Johnson Byabashaija and remaining two million shillings from his family.
He also pledged to renovate one of the dormitories at the school and stated that he would deploy a team of skilled workers to complete the renovation visa vie sending money to the school.
Fears of mismanagement of funds was re-echoed by several people during the thanksgiving at the school.
Former district LCV chairperson Milton Bazanye Mutabazi says the 2014 fundraiser at the school saw the Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Uganda King Ceasor Augustus Mulenga contribute 600 bags of cement.
“As I stand here, it is impossible to tell where these bags of cement were used. We have no record of accountability to rely on. I strongly urge the school administration to fight this kind of corruption because it is what is preventing the school from thriving”, Bazanye said.
He pledged 200,000 Ugandan shillings towards the school.
Kisoro Municipal Mayor Richard Ndyana said the school needs to be transparent about how they handle finances especially monies donated to the school by former students and well-wishers.
The Mutolere Parish priest Rev. Fr. Sebatware Joseph said sanity has since returned to the school adding that discipline is a core component the current school administration is focusing on.
Presidential Advisor on Agriculture Rose Kabagenyi made a contribution of 500,000 Ugandan shillings towards the school and urged parents to endeavor to educate their children despite having financial challenges.
Discussion about this post