Students at Katakwi Township primary school sit under mango trees for their daily lessons. The school has 1,824 children packed into just nine classrooms. Rain forces hundreds of pupils to miss classes when weather turns bad. Children from primary three and five study outside because there are no proper buildings. The school desperately needs 21 classrooms to house all its students properly.
The government school started back in 1979 when displaced families built it with two small rooms. Officials added seven more classrooms in 1986 but never expanded further. Primary one has 326 students crammed together during lessons. Primary three holds 323 pupils under cashew trees each day. Primary four teaches 397 children in overcrowded conditions.
Vice President Jessica Alupo helped the school buy five plots of land for expansion. She donated 50 bags of cement to start building new classrooms. Parents raised 19 million shillings but need 60 million total to finish construction. The recent fundraising drive collected only 1.2 million shillings from struggling families. Each parent was asked to contribute 10,000 shillings toward the building project.
School enrollment jumped from 724 students in 2022 to nearly 1,800 this year. Academic results are getting better with more children passing exams. Eight pupils earned first division marks in 2024 compared to just four in 2022. Headteacher Samuel Ogwere says the school attracts families because test scores keep improving. Better infrastructure would help even more children succeed in their studies.
The government school started back in 1979 when displaced families built it with two small rooms. Officials added seven more classrooms in 1986 but never expanded further. Primary one has 326 students crammed together during lessons. Primary three holds 323 pupils under cashew trees each day. Primary four teaches 397 children in overcrowded conditions.
Vice President Jessica Alupo helped the school buy five plots of land for expansion. She donated 50 bags of cement to start building new classrooms. Parents raised 19 million shillings but need 60 million total to finish construction. The recent fundraising drive collected only 1.2 million shillings from struggling families. Each parent was asked to contribute 10,000 shillings toward the building project.
School enrollment jumped from 724 students in 2022 to nearly 1,800 this year. Academic results are getting better with more children passing exams. Eight pupils earned first division marks in 2024 compared to just four in 2022. Headteacher Samuel Ogwere says the school attracts families because test scores keep improving. Better infrastructure would help even more children succeed in their studies.
