The Ministry of Education and Sports has issued an official clarification dismissing as false and misleading reports circulating on social media claiming that all schools in Uganda will reopen on April 4, 2026, due to the General Elections.
In a statement dated January 6, 2026, the Permanent Secretary Kedrace Turyagyenda said the information is untrue and should be disregarded, emphasizing that there has been no change to the approved national school calendar for the 2026 academic year.
“The Ministry clarifies that this information is not true and should be disregarded,” she stressed
The clarification follows widespread speculation on digital platforms suggesting that the 2026 academic calendar had been altered to accommodate the election period. The Ministry stressed that the approved school calendar dated November 24, 2025, remains fully in force.
According to the Ministry, all reopening and closing dates for schools and institutions remain as officially gazetted and published on the Ministry’s website, which remains the only authoritative source of information on school operations.
The Ministry further advised parents, guardians, headteachers, school administrators and the general public to rely only on information published through official Ministry platforms and to ignore announcements circulated through unverified sources.
The Ministry confirmed that Term I of the 2026 Academic Year will officially begin on Monday, February 2, 2026, and end on Friday, May 1, 2026, in line with the approved calendar.
All schools across Uganda shall reopen strictly in accordance with the approved school calendar,” the Ministry stated
She further directed school administrators to adhere firmly to the stipulated dates.
Under the approved Schools and Other Institutions Calendar for 2026, the academic year for primary and secondary schools is structured as follows:
Term I: February 2, 2026 – May 1, 2026 (89 days)
Term II: May 25, 2026 – August 21, 2026 (89 days)
Term III: September 14, 2026 – December 4, 2026 (82 days)
The total number of instructional days for the year stands at 260 days.
The calendar also outlines school holidays, including:
First Term Holidays: May 2 – May 24, 2026
Second Term Holidays: August 22 – September 13, 2026
Third Term Holidays: December 5, 2026 – January 31, 2027
Turyagyenda reiterated that the approved calendar published on the Ministry’s website remains the sole reference for all school opening and closing dates nationwide.