Developers Eye Another City School
Nakivubo Settlement primary school offers Universal Primary Education and largely caters for children from Kisenyi and Katwe slums. borders Owino market on one side, and Nakivuubo blue primary school.
Unidentified investors are frequenting Nakivubo Settlement primary school with the hope of taking over its land for redevelopment, Uganda Radio Network has learnt. Nakivubo Settlement primary school seats on a 6.8 acre piece of land, which borders Owino Market and Nakivubo Blue Primary school. Nakivubo Settlement primary school offers Universal Primary Education and largely caters for children from Kisenyi and Katwe slums. Florence Kiwanuka, the chairperson Nakivubo Settlement primary school management committee says the school is under threat from land grabbers.
Kiwanuka complained to Erias Lukwago, the lord Mayor on Tuesday last week that several businessmen frequent the school land, claiming that they are interested in redeveloping it. She says the businessmen inspect the school land without the consent of the administration. Haji Sulaiman Luyimbazi, the treasurer Nakivuubo school management committee claims that some businessmen he didn’t name even offered them a bribe of 500 million shillings to pass a resolution giving away the school land. He however, says that they rejected the offer because the school provides education for underprivileged children.
He identifies Col Chris Mugyenyi as one of the people interested in the school. This couldn’t be verified independently by URN. Ahmed Kanatera, the head teacher Nakivubo Settlement primary school blames the low number of pupils at the schools on the threats of eviction. There are only about 200 pupils in the school. Ann Galiwango, the KCCA director in charge of education and social services says they have no plans to sell off the school, adding that they are instead hunting for more land to expand it.
Galiwango says that they want to put up modern structures so that Nakivubo Settlement primary school can compete favorably with private school sin the city. But Erias Lukwago, the city lord dismisses the talk of expanding the school. Lukwago claims that he has heard rumors in the corridors at KCCA of a plot to evict the school. He urges the management of the school to remain vigilant and protect the school land from being taken over by investors.