Government is in negotiations with the World Bank for new funding aimed at refurbishing 160 traditional secondary schools in the country, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Ramathan Ggoobi has said.
“I would want you to assure the population that on education we are coming in a big way. We are finalising negotiations with the World Bank for a big project we are bringing under U-Learn where most schools will be rehabilitated,” said Ggoobi, who was appearing before the Budget Committee on Tuesday, 13 May 2025.
Ggoobi noted that the U-Learn Program together with the existing Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer Programme (U-GIFT project) also funded by the World Bank, will go along away to boost the infrastructural needs in the education sector.
The UGIFT programme worth US$300 million targets rehabilitation of 1,000 primary existing schools, alongside infrastructural development in the health and environment sectors.
The Permanent Secretary was in the company of the State Minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi and other ministry officials to respond to queries raised by MPs on the draft budget for the 2025/2026 financial year.
Legislators were concerned with budgetary requests that are consistently ignored, saying some of them cannot wait such as the schools that conduct classes under trees.
“There are schools which were grant aided since 2016 such as Akola seeds Secondary School located at headquarters of Moroto Country, Aleptong district. Students are under a tree. Government is not paying teachers, because there is no allocation. What is the President going to tell people when he is standing on that ground on what he has done in the past five, when the school has been under the tree, with no activity, no construction?” asked Hon. Samuel Okwir (NRM, Moroto County).
Hon. Annet Katusiime (NRM, Bushenyi District Woman MP) also asked the Ministry to consider financing schools in her district that were set up under government grants but have since been ignored in the budget.
“There are schools that were taken up by government, they were grant aided, teachers were recruited, posted and everything was in place but for the last two years, they have never been given money,” said Katusiime.
Kashari South County MP, Hon. Nathan Itungo asked that the Ministry reinstates funding for Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE) charged with coordination of all levels of teacher education in the country. In addition to in-service teacher training and continuous professional development programmes.
“Without the money to operationalise UNITE we are going to have issues with Primary Teachers Colleges and National Teachers Colleges currently doing nothing. Without free education which is the message of the President, without teachers being trained, what are we doing? asked Itungo.