Bundibugyo Primary Teachers College gets new structures

Bundibugyo Primary Teachers College is located in Bundibugyo Town Council, Bundibugyo District with over eight hundred and forty students. The college was started in 1982 as a community college, being hosted by the Catholic Church. For 19 years, the college had neither land nor structures, until in 2005 when the district offered to buy it land. Students were housed in buildings offered by Auction Aid, and parents also contributed some fee to make bricks that were later used to construct semi structured classes. 

ToroDev M&E Team monitoring the college

With the help of Bundibugyo Media Practitioners Forum, the issue was monitored and raised to the concerned local leaders for intervention. “We monitored the issue of Bundibugyo Primary Teachers’ College that was in a poor state. The community was losing the college to the Catholic Church, because of failing to maintain it. The college had no structures of its own, and also had no class rooms or dormitories. We aired the issue on radio and also approached the concerned district leaders, who intervened immediately”, said Tumwine Howard, Chairperson of Bundibugyo Media Practitioners Forum.

A ground breaking ceremony was held in April 2014, and a contract was signed between the Ministry of Education and Kenvin Company Uganda Limited to construct new class room blocks and dormitories at the bought land. The contract summed up to Shs. 559,621, 260 (Five hundred and fifty nine million, six hundred and twenty one thousand, two hundred and sixty shillings, and is expected to last one year. 

Mr. Muhindo the deputy Principle for the college indicated how the newly constructed buildings will improve on the performance of the college. “A girl dormitory is expected to accommodate thirty two students which will help us to solve the problem of accommodation among our girls students. A semi detached staff house will also help us to house two tutors. This will definitely improve our well being as a college”.

However, Mr.Muhindo indicated the challenges that still need leaders’ intervention at the college. “The college has only thirteen teaching staff, yet we are entitled to have twenty four teachers, which is highly affecting our academics. The school is also squeezed on only seven acres of land, yet a college is supposed to have a minimum of twenty acres”.  

The advocacy forums are supported by SIDA/CIPESA on a project aimed at using appropriate ICT tools to promote democratic engagement in the Rwenzori Region, Western Uganda.