Uganda: School closed over poor sanitation

Mary Hill Junior Academy, a day and boarding pre-primary school was on Tuesday closed over poor sanitation. The school located in Kiwologoma village Kira town council in Wakiso District was closed down by the Kira Division Education Officers with help the police. The school is owned one Moses Mpanga.

Students who arrived at the school in time for classes looked stranded as class rooms were being locked with no one allowed in.

“Your school has been visited according to the education act 2008 section 45 and the following have been recommended, close the boarding section, and improve on sanitation of the school,” a letter by director of education Kira division, Mugoya Higenyi to the school management read in part.

He said the school was closed due to a lack of facilities like classrooms, dormitories, lack of multiple exits in case of a fire outbreak, windows and pit latrines. He said the school received several warnings but it declined to comply with what was recommended.

According to Mugoya, Mary hill Junior Academy was also found operating without authority. According to the education pre-primary and post primary Act of 2008 section 40, no school should operate without a valid license.

Helen Musiitwa one of the parents blamed the councils director for education, for threatening private investment in education. “Around this place we only have this school which is good because other schools are very far up to Kireka and students have to walk long distances to access education which is very risky to them,” she complained.

She said this is intended to make parents poorer as the school was closed after they paid school fees.


Meanwhile Florence Abenakyo the Woman Superintendent in charge of family unit at Kira Police division blamed parents for taking their children to boarding sections when they are still very young. “We visited this school on a fact finding mission and found out that these toddlers are not given a balanced diet yet they are very young which exposes them to more dangers of contracting diseases from school,” Abenakyo said.

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