Bugisu Muslim leaders accuse Museveni aide of disrupting learning at Nkoma SS

What the report says

Bugisu Muslim leaders have accused Jimmy Nambiro, President Yoweri Museveni’s Private Secretary for Education and Skilling, of interfering in the management of Nkoma Secondary School in Mbale City in a way they say is disrupting learning. According to Nile Post, the leaders said his repeated actions over parental contributions risk demoralising teachers and could hurt student performance, especially during the third term.

Sheikh Issa Ahmad Masaba Pole, the Kadhi of the Bugisu Muslim District Council, said the school relies on parental payments to meet operating costs, including salaries for teachers who are not on the government payroll and other basic needs. He said Nkoma SS has more than 7,000 students and 168 teachers, with 80 paid by government. He argued that the school should be allowed to handle financial matters through its board, PTA and other internal structures, rather than through outside pressure.

The leaders also said Nambiro had embarrassed the headteacher in front of students after the school sent learners home to remind parents about PTA contributions. Ali Waboga, chairperson of the Bugisu Muslim District Council, said the repeated interventions had created tension and an atmosphere that could undermine teaching. The group warned that similar disputes could affect other Muslim-founded schools in the region.

The dispute comes as government continues to discourage unauthorized charges in schools under Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary Education. Nile Post notes that the Education Act bars compulsory fees in those programmes, while still allowing voluntary contributions for urgent school needs.