Hajjat Minsa Kabanda the senior minister of Kampala city rushed to Nakivubo Settlement Primary School after learning that angry parents had stormed the school and wanted to lynch the headmistress over mismanaging the government school.
The angry parents were complaining about the headmistress Harriet Ibore for turning their school into a shopping centre, bar and a store after she rented classrooms to be used by city business men and women.
Upon realising that the situation was getting out of her hands, the minister asked for help from Kampala Central Police Station.
The parents guided the minister and KCCA bosses to move around the school for evidence. They established that a number of buildings were partitioned into small rooms which are being used as rentals.
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“Our children cannot study in such environment when loud music is being played with people shouting to attract customers. Teachers cannot pretend that they are teaching, this is unacceptable and whoever behind it will answer” Kabanda said.
She further grilled Charles Magnot the acting Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) education officer for sleeping on the job and failing to supervise his job which has resulted into people mismanaging public properties.
She wondered where the millions of shillings Ibore has been collecting from the businesses she has been renting the school buildings go.
Ibore defended herself that the decision to rent the school buildings was not made by herself but by the entire school management authority because pupils had deserted the school.
“Right now, we have not more than 200 pupils, we first rented some buildings to Dansen Education Centre which educates old people on mature education. Then, we agreed to widen the school’s source of revenue by renting other buildings which are not in use to other business people,” Ibore said.
However, when she was asked to explain where the money collected from the said rented business goes, she declined to elaborate noting that her bosses at the top of the school management can answer. This angered the minister and she ordered for her arrest. She was taken to police to record a statement.
The development comes at a time when Kampala City Lord Mayor Ssalongo Erias Lukwago has just issued a warning that a shrewd businessman in the city has picked interest in taking away the school’s land and is in talks with top government officials.
He pleaded with Ugandans to wake up and fight over public properties in the city which are under threat of being taken by people he branded as mafias who are shielded by top government officials.
