By BM
President Yoweri Museveni has highlighted Uganda’s remarkable progress in education and emphasized the need for stricter planning in school distribution.
He made the remarks during his first rally at Kololo Independence Ground since the presidential nominations for the 2026 elections on Tuesday.
Museveni recalled that in 1986, Uganda had just 5,000 government primary schools, compared to over 12,500 today.
With 10,716 parishes now in the country, he noted that there are more primary schools than parishes.
He observed that previous planning had sometimes led to multiple schools per parish rather than ensuring that each parish had at least one, and pledged that the government would enforce proper distribution moving forward.
On secondary education, Museveni explained that Uganda now has 1,524 government secondary schools, up from 459 in 1986.
He acknowledged that gaps remain, particularly in newly created sub-counties, and stressed the need for careful planning when creating administrative units to ensure every sub-county has access to a secondary school.
He assured that the government is committed to addressing these gaps.
First Lady and Minister for Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, provided further context, noting that Uganda’s population has grown from 14 million in 1986 to 46 million in 2024.
She explained that the increase in population contributes to some children still lacking access to classrooms despite the rise in schools.
She also highlighted the challenges faced by children from poor families who depend solely on government schools and assured that ongoing efforts aim to provide classrooms for all children across the country.
On teacher welfare, Janet Museveni reported that salaries for science teachers have been raised to four million shillings per month from 960,000 shillings five years ago.
She added that salaries for arts teachers on the government payroll are under review to ensure fair compensation, while teachers in private schools earn between 350,000 and 1.3 million shillings depending on the school’s resources.
Both leaders called for unity behind the NRM government, emphasizing that continuity is essential to complete ongoing education initiatives.
Janet Museveni stated that the government intends to ensure all schools are sufficient and rehabilitated where necessary, and she commended the unity displayed at the rally as evidence that Uganda remains one people under God, committed to building a better future through education. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
