KAMPALA – Bugiri District Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Eunice Namatende, pushed Government to urgently rebuild classrooms at Nankoma Primary School after a devastating fire destroyed part of the school in 2023, leaving more than 400 pupils studying under trees and in the open.
While presenting her concerns on the floor of Parliament, Namatende revealed that learners in Primary Five, Six and Seven had continued attending lessons under difficult conditions, with learning frequently interrupted whenever it rained.
She appealed to Government to reconstruct the damaged classrooms and establish temporary learning structures as an immediate intervention to ensure that affected pupils accessed a safe and conducive learning environment.
Responding on behalf of Government, Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja committed to personally participating in an assessment of the damage in Bugiri District, alongside the Department of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Management, the Ministry of Education and Sports and Bugiri District Local Government.
Nabbanja explained that the assessment would establish the extent of the damage and determine the requirements for restoring proper learning conditions before the next school term begins in February 2027.
She further revealed that Government would incorporate the reconstruction of the classroom block into the Financial Year 2027/2028 Primary School Rehabilitation Programme under the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers (UGIFT) programme.
According to the Prime Minister, the actual cost of the reconstruction works would be established after the joint assessment had been completed.
Nabbanja also directed Bugiri District Local Government to prioritise Nankoma Primary School under its Education Development Grant to support efforts aimed at addressing the school’s infrastructure challenges.
She added that the reconstructed classroom block would be fitted with fire extinguishers and proper electrical installations to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents.
The Government commitments followed Namatende’s appeal for urgent intervention to rescue hundreds of learners who had endured difficult study conditions since the 2023 fire.
The proposed assessment and rehabilitation programme were expected to provide a pathway towards restoring normal learning activities at the school.
