URN.According to Kisubi, the education department had budgeted for 8.1 million shillings to facilitate the activity, but only 891,627 shillings was allocated in the first quarter.
Kitgum Municipality will have no representative at the regional primary school Music Dance and Drama-MDD competitions, due to a lack of funds.
MDD is one of the co-curricular activities undertaken by schools to enable learners to acquire skills and creatively express themselves and their emotions through drama, dance, and music while learning to appreciate their distinctiveness and values as individuals and a community.
According to the Town Clerk, Alikwan Ayub Kisubi, the municipality expected to facilitate the MDD competitions using money from the first quarter release of the financial year 2022/2023. Kisubi, says that the education department had budgeted for 8.1 million shillings for the competitions, but only 891,627 shillings was allocated in the first quarter.
“In addition, the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development has to date not yet finalized the upload of the budgets, hence, no cash limits issued,” Kisubi said.
Paul Patrick Kidega, the Secretary of Education, Health and Community Services at the municipality, said even the 891,627 shillings is not yet on their account.
Kidega said MDD is an important activity in education, from which some learners get to realize their talent and develop their careers, so the inability to facilitate the activities is saddening.
He said they will ensure that other upcoming co-curricular activities are funded.