URN.The storm, according to Muwonge, was a blessing in disguise because most of the school structures are dilapidated and in dire need of renovations or demolition
Only Shillings 3.7million out of the Shillings 350 million for the proposed renovation of Chadwick Namate Primary School, one of the oldest schools in Entebbe municipality has been realized. On February 17, 2022, strong winds hit the school after a 5-hour downpour.
The storm blew off the roofs of three staff houses and two classrooms. Robert Muwonge, the Headteacher of the school founded in 1901, says that the municipal engineer and plumbers assessed the damage, saying the renovations will include re-roofing the affected classrooms, renovating toilets, and plumbing and electrical installation works.
The storm, according to Muwonge, was a blessing in disguise because most of the school structures are dilapidated and in dire need of renovations or demolition. He says the Municipal Engineer wants the staff houses built in 1901 and de-roofed by the storm, demolished because they had developed major cracks even before the storm while all the classrooms constructed in 1901, 1940, and 2004 need to be re-roofed.
In February, Muwonge said the school would raise the money for renovations by holding a fundraising drive. A fundraising drive was held at the school on May 28th. However, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, who was the chief guest did not attend. Well-wishers who included old boys and girls only contributed Shillings 2, 456,000.
Muwonge says the school recorded less than Shillings 10 million in pledges from among others the Education department of Namirembe Diocese, Entebbe Town Clerk, Charles Magumba, and old boys led by Entebbe deputy mayor Charles Kabwama and Micheal Kakembo, the Entebbe Municipality MP.
Kakembo pledged Shillings one million for the renovation project and Shillings one million as a token of appreciation to the teachers at the fundraiser. Muwonge says Kakembo fulfilled his pledge of Shillings two million last month while Division B officials who pledged Shillings 500,000 have so far delivered Shillings 300,000.
The rest of the pledges remain unfulfilled. ” So we have raised Shillings 3, 756,000 in four months, yet we need Shillings 350 million for the renovations ” Muwonge adds, “So I’ll be writing reminders to all those who pledged to contribute.”
But Kakembo says the funds needed for renovations cannot be realized from only fundraising drives. He urges the Prime Minister Nabbanja and other government officials including old girls like Rebecca Kadaga, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community-EAC Affairs to secure public funding for the school.
Kadaga, who is also the Kamuli Woman MP and former Speaker of Parliament attended primary one at the school. The school was founded by Archdeacon Walter Chadwick, an Irish Anglican clergyman who was one of the Church Missionary Society, to educate staff working at the residence of the Governor during the colonial time, which is the current State House. Kakembo says “So this should be the best school in the whole country because it was for people working at State House and their children.”
Joyce Nalubega, the Principal Education Officer for Entebbe Municipality, says the school will be considered in the 2023/2024 financial year since the department’s budget and plans for this financial year have already been approved by the municipal council. “The storm hit the school when the municipal council had already approved our capital development plans which involves renovating Kiwafu Primary School and constructing a toilet at St. Joseph Primary School in Katabi.”
The renovation works at Kiwafu Primary School will cost shillings 100.8 million while the toilet construction project will cost shillings 4.5 million. The education department has been allocated shillings 4.7 billion from the total budget of shillings 26.4 billion for the Entebbe municipal council in the 2022/2023 financial year. The municipality has 107 primary and 14 secondary schools. Of these, 15 primary schools and 3 secondary schools are government-aided.
