For more than two decades, Bumumulo Primary School in Sironko District has been grappling with a severe lack of proper sanitation facilities, endangering the health of over 900 pupils and their teachers. The school has only six dilapidated toilets, constructed from old iron sheets, forcing male and female teachers to share the same facilities—a situation described as unhygienic and dehumanizing.
Parents and teachers say the school’s sanitation conditions are appalling. Masiro Emmanuel, a parent with a son at the school, took journalists around the facilities, showing the crumbling structures. "Our children are at risk of disease. The government must intervene before things get worse," he pleaded.
Mr. Wachemba Domacous, a Primary 4 teacher, expressed frustration over the shared toilets. "As a male teacher, it feels wrong to use the same toilet as my female colleagues. The situation is embarrassing and unhealthy," he said.
Parents and teachers say the school’s sanitation conditions are appalling. Masiro Emmanuel, a parent with a son at the school, took journalists around the facilities, showing the crumbling structures. "Our children are at risk of disease. The government must intervene before things get worse," he pleaded.
Mr. Wachemba Domacous, a Primary 4 teacher, expressed frustration over the shared toilets. "As a male teacher, it feels wrong to use the same toilet as my female colleagues. The situation is embarrassing and unhealthy," he said.
The school’s only available toilets were provided by a Good Samaritan, Mukwana Paul, who allowed the institution to erect semi-permanent structures on his land. However, after 20 years, he is urging the government to step in. "I have now given the school free land. All the government needs to do is build permanent toilets," he said.
Despite repeated appeals, the school’s administration says their cries for help have gone unanswered. Madam Negisea Ladia, the head teacher, revealed that they have written numerous letters to the district over the years, but have only received empty promises.
Engineer Julius Nakiyiyi admitted that Sironko’s education system has long suffered from neglect. "Even when I was a child, schools here struggled. Good teachers avoid Sironko because of such poor conditions," he said.
The situation took a dramatic turn when HON. DR. Joyce Moriku Kaducu, the State Minister of Education, revealed that the government allocates 1.5 billion shillings annually to address such school issues. However, she expressed shock that even the LC5 Chairman of Sironko District was unaware of the funds.
The minister added that the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and his team share this money under trees instead of using it for schools like Bumumulo," the minister alleged, calling for an immediate investigation.
With pupils and teachers forced to endure unsanitary conditions daily, stakeholders are demanding immediate government intervention. Parents fear that disease outbreaks could strike the school without proper toilets at any time.
As the district leadership faces scrutiny over misused funds, the question remains: When will Bumumulo Primary School finally get the toilets it desperately needs?
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