Some of the affected are Bridge nursery and primary school, Meehan primary school, Joy Nursery, and primary school, Talents nursery and primary school, and Hashim Education Centre among others. Prior to the lockdown in March 2020, Busia district comprised 212 schools including both secondary and primary private schools.
At least 50 private schools in Busia district have failed to re-open over accumulated rental arrears.
Some of the affected
are Bridge nursery and primary school, Meehan
primary school, Joy Nursery, and primary school, Talents nursery and primary
school, and Hashim Education Centre
among others. Prior to the lockdown in March 2020, Busia district
comprised 212 schools including both secondary and primary private schools.
Aggrey Mangeni, the Busia Municipal Education Officer,
says that they have noticed that several schools that were operating
in rental premises have vanished
due to accumulated
rental arrears.
Hillary Oundo, the chairperson of Private School Proprietors in Busia
District, says that most of the schools were operating in
rental premises and it
became a challenge that their landlords continued counting months even when the
schools were closed. According to Oundo, other landlords opted to impound
school furniture and sell it to recover their
rent.
Luganda//Cue in; “Mu early
2020…
Cue out…sente zeyetaga nyinji.”//
Kennedy Menya, the Busia District Inspector of Schools, says that his department has confirmed the closure of over
50 schools, adding that they are
still conducting a survey. Steven Wafula, Grace Anyango, and Emmanuel Wanaha say that they opted to take their children to schools in neighbouring Kenya for studies because of
the failure of their old schools to reopen.
Gabriel Mukisa
Freelancer