The completion of Bukedea Technical Institute has stalled. Construction of the institute started in 2014 with funding from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Currently, the school has an enrolment of 264 students. Besides the incomplete structures, the school lacks the equipment in the workshops.
Samuel Kaddu Mukasa, the Principal of the school says that the institute lacks water and power, which has affected the learners and the learning processes of some of the courses. He explains that construction was supposed to be done in two phases, but the first phase was not completed.
Mukasa says that the first phase included the construction of the dormitories, administration block, and workshop. Mukasa adds that he has written several letters to the Ministry of Education and Sports over the issue but there hasn’t been any response.
The Bukedea District Education Officer, Stephen Okurut says that the school was allocated five billion shillings for construction, but his office is not able to account for the funds since the supervision and all the works were handled at the higher level by the Ministry of Education and Sports.
The Bukedea district chairperson, Mary Akol says that the school is a white elephant in the district. Akol said that very little information is known about its completion.
In 2016, the then Bukedea district boss, Moses Olemukan criticized the Ministry of Education for forcibly enrolling students to study in the unfinished structures despite assurance of completion of the school by October 2016.
Bukedea Technical Institute is the only government-aided school offering technical education in the district. The other school is Bukedea Comprehensive School, which offers both formal and technical education.
However, Loy Muhwezi, the Commissioner in charge of Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET), told our reporter on the phone that her office has no information regarding the construction works.
“Technical education is decentralized and the Principal is an accounting officer. The school is under the direct supervision and monitoring of the district where the education department plays a critical role. They should be able to explain or direct you to the officer responsible for the construction of the school,” Commissioner Muhwezi said.