PARENTS STORM DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS OVER SCHOOL HEAD TEACHER

By Yosam Gucwaki
In Masindi–

Parents storm district headquarters protesting their head teacher
Over 50 parents of Ikoba Girl’s primary school in Bwijanga Sub-county
in Masindi District yesterday stormed district headquarters, demanding
for the Authorities’ intervention to ensure that the school transferred head teacher; Jolly Atugonza leaves.

Led by the sub county councilor for Bikonzi parish Robert Mukasa the
parents stormed the office of chief Administrative officer at 11:30 am
to demand for his intervention to compel Jolly Atugonza to leave the
station where she has been serving for the last seventeen years.
Atugonza was transferred from Ikoba girl’s primary schools to Rukondwa primary school in the same sub county.

The transfers were stayed by the Bishop Masindi Kitara diocese Rt. Rev George William Kasangaki on grounds that the district authorities did not consult the foundation body before making the transfer as per the education act.
Ikoba is among the church of Uganda founded schools in the district.
Mukasa told reporters at the district headquarters that they decided
to storm the district after Atugonza refused to hand over office to
the new head teacher who was posted to the school.

He said the parents are tired of Atugonza whom he accused of failing to deliver, failing to account for funds and abusing the parents.

Parents one after another accused Atugonza of failing to accounts for
funds and failing to deliver to their expectations.

The chief Administrative officer who was in office in the morning met
the parents who had camped in the compound and informed them that he
was going to attend to an emergency case in the district hospital and
promised to come back in five minutes.

However, what was five minutes became three hours he came back at 2pm and again left the district headquarters without attending to or addressing them, which irked the parents who had waited patiently for 3 hours.
The parents said that CAO’s decision not to meet and address their
issue was so disappointing after waiting for four hours.

It took the intervention of the office superintendent Masindi district
local government; Stella Tumusime who convinced the angry parents to
take their document to registry and register it so that it can be
delivered to CAO which agreed. They were received by the senior
records officer Denis Musinguzi to whom the document was handed with instructions to deliver it to the CAO.

Speaking to the media after handing in their petition, the parents said
if the head teacher is not compelled to leave the school and go to
where she was transferred, they will be forced to take the law into
their hands and lock her outside the office.

However, Jolly Atugonza says her transfer was stayed by the
chief administrative office in his letter dated 6th February 2018
until otherwise. She was posted by the ministry and also it has the mandate to transfer her. She appeals to the parents to be patient as the issue is being handled.

The chief administrative officer could not be reached for a comment
since he did not pick our repeated calls by press time.
SOURCE: www.mknewslink.com a greater western Uganda news website.
Email: wmuhwezi75@gmail.com
Tel. +256702680106