President Museveni has issued a firm warning to the leaders of the Lango sub-region against politicizing free government education.
He made these remarks on August 29, 2024, during his opening speech to inaugurate the regional plenary at the Kaunda grounds, Gulu city.
President Museveni directed his warning towards the political class for the issuance of exorbitant school fees to the school-going children and frustrating the NRM efforts in promoting free education in government schools.
‘’There are children who are not going to school, and school charges are the only thing that is blocking them, so the political class and all the elite, please, if you say that you care about the people, support my position on free education,’’ he said.
Museveni said it has been almost thirty years since NRM started preaching the gospel of Universal Primary Education (UPE), yet the politicians continue to put charges on the education.
He stressed that exceptions could be made in the budget implementation to finance free education for all the children attending these schools.
‘’If there are animate costs, bring them through your members of parliament in joint effort with the people, create a budget, block other expenditures, and provide free education for the children in the government schools,’’ Museveni added.
The President warned the politicians to refrain from compromising schoolchildren under the guise of helping the community for their own selfish agenda.
‘’Don’t say I am paying for the people of my constituency, yet you are paying for only ten children. How will ten children help in the constituency apart from putting you in debts,’’ Museveni stated.
He encouraged the people of Lango to join in the struggle and promote free education in government schools because the capitation grant is set to cover for any other school cost made in the form of capital.
‘’Listen to the NRM; let us have free education in government schools, ‘’ he said.
On September 20, 2023, the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, re-echoed a stern warning to secondary school head teachers against illegal charges in government-aided schools.
