Parents of pupils at Guardian nursery and primary school in Mpumudde, Jinja district, are upset after their school was taken over by soldiers, following a land wrangle there.
Early last Monday, the parents arrived to find eight UPDF officers guarding the school, and barring all pupils from accessing it.
According to the chairman of the Parents and Teachers’ Association (PTA), Nadiope Ikoba, parents had cleared school fees and brought their children for classes, only to be stopped by UPDF officers.
“Most of our parents had paid all the school dues and had happily brought their children to school, but were surprised by the welcome remarks of the UPDF officers who tasked them to go back because the school had been closed until further notice,” Nadiope Ikoba said.
The area defence secretary, Alex Ndize, reported that the efforts to negotiate on the school’s security had been frustrated by politicians and concerned UPDF officers.
“The senior UPDF officers and politicians have failed the efforts of sorting out Guardian school land probe by evading meetings and not advising the school administration genuinely but opt on twisting all the time,” Ndize stated.
For his part, the school’s director, James William Muwaya accused the UPDF of using oral communication instead of being formal. By Friday, efforts to reopen the school had failed after the UPDF declined to join negotiations on the matter.