Equity Bank Fuels Education Growth in Bugisu, Hands Nabumali Boarding Primary Its First School Bus

By Mulengera Reporters
In a move aimed at strengthening the education sector and easing school transport challenges in eastern Uganda, Equity Bank Uganda has officially handed over a brand-new bus to Nabumali Boarding Primary School in Mbale District.

The colorful ceremony, held on October 23, 2025, marked a new chapter for one of Bugisu’s oldest educational institutions, as excited pupils, teachers, and residents of Nabumali turned up in large numbers to witness the school’s first-ever bus being unveiled.

The event began at the bank’s Mbale branch, where the bus was flagged off before proceeding to the school grounds amid ululations from the pupils. It attracted notable district leaders, including Mbale District Education Officer (DEO) Mr. Paddy Khaukha, Mbale City Mayor Mr. Moses Kutoi, and the Diocesan Secretary of Mbale Diocese, Rev. Eridad Milton Shissa.

The initiative was made possible through Equity Bank’s Asset Financing Facility, a program designed to help schools, individuals, and businesses acquire critical assets such as vehicles and equipment without paying the entire amount upfront.

According to Mr. Ronald Sam Nakhasanga, the bank’s Regional Manager for Eastern Uganda, the school contributed 20% of the total cost of the bus, while the bank financed the remaining 80%, to be repaid over a three-year period, equivalent to nine school terms. He explained that the partnership reflects the bank’s ongoing commitment to investing in education and empowering communities through affordable financing options.

He further emphasized that the Asset Financing initiative is part of the bank’s broader social mission to support development in key sectors such as education, health, and agriculture, ensuring that institutions like Nabumali Boarding Primary School are not left behind in the country’s progress journey.

The school’s head teacher, Mrs. Beatrice Katami Wachaya, expressed gratitude for what she described as a life-changing contribution, noting that the bus will ease transportation for pupils and enhance participation in academic and co-curricular activities. She also revealed that the bus would occasionally serve the surrounding community, reflecting the school’s role as both an educational and social hub for Nabumali Parish.

Founded in 1975 by missionaries, Nabumali Boarding Primary School holds a unique place in the region’s educational history. Jointly owned by the Church of Uganda and the Government of Uganda, it remains the only boarding school under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) program in the entire Bugisu sub-region.

Community leaders at the event described Equity Bank’s gesture as timely, especially in a region where most rural schools still struggle with infrastructure and logistics.

The new bus is expected to improve access to inter-school competitions, exposure visits, and other academic activities that previously required hiring costly transport services. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).