Muslims in Nakasongola are protesting the diversion of shillings 100 million that was donated to them by President Yoweri Museveni to construct the first Muslim based secondary school in the district. In 2009, Museveni pledged to contribute shillings 354 million for the construction of a Muslim based secondary school.
Last year, government through the ministry of education and sports released shillings 100 million as part of the 354 million to kick start the project. But on Thursday, John Crysostom Muyingo, state minister for Higher Education ordered Nakasongola Chief Administrative Officer Sulaiman Kasozi to use the money to construct toilets in 12 schools that were affected by floods last year.
The affected schools include Kyamuyingo, Kyakadoko, Busone, Moone,Kigarambi, Lwampanga Roman Catholic, Zengebe, and River Kafu Primary Schools amongst others. Pupils of the affected schools have not yet reported back since the first term opened two weeks. Muyingo says that they decided to divert the money for constructing the school to toilet construction because his ministry has failed to secure the needed shillings 300 million.
// Cue in;but at the moment …………………….
// Cue Out;…………………….for the very purpose’’//
However, the directive by the minister has not gone down well with members of the Muslim community in Nakasongola. They accuse Muyingo of frustrating the plan to construction their school and the spread of Islam in the district. Sheikh Yahaya Ssebirumbi, the chairman of Imams in Nakasongola says the minister’s directive is totally unacceptable because affects their plan to construct the first Muslim owned school in the district.
He wonders how ministry of education can fail to raise shillings 300 million and think of diverting money tied to a specific project. Ssebirumbi says that he had called a crisis meeting today over the matter to mobilize Muslims to protest the directive by the minister. Abubaker Mukasa, chairman Muslim school construction committee says that minister’s directive is unfortunate and aimed at the sabotaging the development of the Muslim community.
He explains that the whole district has no Muslim based secondary school and they asked President Museveni for funds to set up one but they are shocked by the new directive. He accuses ministry officials of diverting the money so as to swindle the balance once it is released by the president. Mukasa vows to petition the president to force the ministry to rescind its decision to divert the funds. George William Kajura, Nakasongola District Education Office advises the ministry to look for an alternative source of funding saying the diversion of funds may result in chaos.
