The dream of having Kyambogo University study centre in the West Nile Sub region’s border District of Zombo at Paidha Primary Teachers College is inching closer after the University for the first time in history sent its representative to meet political leaders, stakeholders and parents representatives of Zombo district.
The meeting was held at Daudi Cotts in Paidha Town Council on the 19th of July 2023, where people of Zombo across the board showed their unanimous commitment to having the institution at the defunct Paidha primary teachers college in Paidha Town Council without any further Ado.
Initially, there were choruses of mixed views from the greater Nebbi community, after a section of cultural and religious leaders in greater Nebbi rejected the plan by Kyambogo University to establish their study centre at the facility in a second consultative meeting, which brought together some stakeholders, politicians, religious leaders and officials from the ministry of education and sports.
This positive move by Kyambogo University comes after the Zombo District local government on the 31st of May 2023, passed a unanimous resolution to hand over the facility to Kyambogo University in a Council meeting.
The District leadership immediately sent the letter pertaining to the resolution to the Ministry of Education and Sports and copied it to Kyambogo University. The copy of the letter seen by the whisper eye news indicates the acknowledgement of the letter by both the education ministry and the University.
Dr Stephen Kasumba, The Director of Distance Education, at E’ Learning and Learning Centers Kyambogo University, at the consultative meeting was overwhelmed with the unity of stakeholders in Zombo.
Kasumba said with the commitment he has witnessed, there is hope that the report they are to go to forward to the University senate and council shall be approved.
” I have really realized that your all together as one voice, including this person in charge of security, joining you to make sure we have this institution here, we don’t take this for granted. Before I came here, we had some mixed views but my perception is changing. Our people of the land are going to be the ones to run the centre. For us, we do only coordination” Kasumba noted.
He added that ” This has really shown your quick response. We are so happy that you’re giving us a complete structure. It won’t take long for the senate And the council to consider Paidha Primary Teachers College. We are going to write a report saying that the place can be ours. We shall have other people coming to see this place”.
Rwothomio Joseph, A lecturer at Kyambogo University who accompanied the team expressed happiness after what he said positive welcoming remark from the Bishop of Nebbi church of Uganda, Rt Rev Pons Ozelle Awinjo about the establishment of the University study centre at the facility.
“From the expression you have put forward, you are all agreeing that Kyambogo should Come to Paidha. Probably also I would like to mention a hint on the foundation body. I think before we came here, I had to make sure that we passed via our Bishop Rt Rev Pons Ozelle Awinjo, we had a meeting with him and in that meeting he blessed us”,
The national teacher policy 2019 recommends the operationalization of only core Primary Teachers College leaving colleges like Paidha and 22 others with no option but to close automatically across the country.
Under the national teacher policy 2019, the government has provided the framework to guide the professionalization of the teaching profession and to streamline the interventions aimed at standardizing teacher-related issues of all education levels. The minimum qualification for all teachers in Uganda regardless of the level of education they teach, shall be Bachelor’s Degree in Education or A Bachelor’s Degree with post_ graduate qualification in education.
What Zombo stakeholders say during the consultative meeting
Okecha Joel, a retired Social worker said “Please establish the institution here immediately, we have people who can take up roles there as staff, we are able to Mobilize Students from the Greater West Nile, South Sudan and even DRCongo”.
Onencan Sadiki, The Male District Councillor for Paidha Town Council Said ” Kyambogo University should come yesterday not tomorrow, it’s going to come with a lot of benefits like socioeconomic transformation to our local people here and also improve our education standard”.
Tom Orwodhi, The secretary of social services in Zombo district local government ” I couldn’t access my masters in Makerere and Kyambogo because I had no capacity to travel there to study, So I had to stop at Barchelors level”.
The Speaker of Paidha Town Council Albert said” We can’t allow this precious chance to go elsewhere, we are ready for the University”
Christopher Watumbe a parent and a teacher said ” If you want to bring a university here, there are so many “0” and ” A” Level learners here including the businessmen and teachers good enough, the university is going to come with Teacher education, Agricultural and many other faculties. To me, If we want to get stuck to our primary teacher’s college, it’s like we want to repair our tap writers instead of accessing a computer”.
John Pascal Wapokra, The former Nebbi District LCV chairperson said” There is nothing political and religious here, we are fighting for that place to be for an institution like University. We shall be happy to have Kyambogo University in that place”.
The Zombo District female youth councillor Princess Kristober said this is going to be a golden opportunity for the youth to access higher education most of whom were deprived due to unavailable institutions of such nature.
The LCV chairperson of Zombo District James Oruna Oyullu said The Leadership is ready to accord the University all the needed support to ensure the institution is a success in the region
The LCV chairperson of Zombo District James Oruna Oyullu noted that ” personally as the district chair who represents the voices of the people of Zombo, Many people are in need of Kyambogo tomorrow. Our children will benefit from high transport costs, and accommodations in other areas. It will only be tuition fees”,
Paidha primary teachers college was established in 1982 as a government-founded college in a church of Uganda primary school building in Mvungu upper primary school in the then Nebbi district. In 1989, Land was allocated for the college where it’s currently sitting on 80.9 hectares in Dwonga ward Paidha town council. However, the facility has also been grappling with the challenge of land encroachment which the board recently said has been resolved.
Lately, the enrollment at the college had dwindled from 468 to 86 from 2010 to 2022.
The Community’s Perspective
Willy Ocaya, The district child labour project focal person under Uganda national teachers union (UNATU), has welcomed the decision by the district with utmost joy noting that, it’s more futuristic.
“I would like to thank the entire district council for having unanimously passed the resolution that will brighten the future of Alur people by allowing the mighty university (Kyambogo University) to be established in Paidha. I’m extremely happy with the conscious decision.” Ocaya noted
Earlier, The District Education officer of Zombo Nickolas Odeba noted that the Alur subregion has many teachers and the establishment of Kyambogo University study centre could bring in options for students than A core primary teachers college.
In January 2021 When Kyambogo University’s vice-chancellor Professor Elly Katunguka visited the Zombo district For a student graduation party at Mvungu upper primary school playground in Paidha town council, He was requested by the Retired Archbishop of the church of Uganda Dr . Henry Luke Orombi to establish the university branch at the college.
” Please Mr Katunguka, take over this college, you will have many students from greater West Nile and even D.R.Congo,” Orombi Said amidst applause from members of the Public.
The assistant commissioner of teacher education in the Ministry of Education and Sports Max Okiror recently during the meeting with stakeholders at Paidha Primary teachers college recently revealed that l, Kyambogo University had earlier approached the ministry about their proposed plan for the college takeover.
Okiror notes that official communication about Paidha primary teachers college will be published by the Ministry of Education and Sports.
Recently, whilst for the NRM party celebration at Oturgang Boys primary school playground, The state minister of northern Uganda Grace Freedom Kwiocwiny rallied stakeholders to start mobilisation of students for the University that is soon to be established in the land for the first time in history.
The bishop of Nebbi Anglican Diocese Rt Rev Pons Ozelle Awinjo, with the Prime minister of Alur Kingdom Opar Lawrence Angala, had initially proposed that Paidha primary teachers college be retained for affirmative action.
There has been no formal communication from the Ministry of Education and Sports and Kyambogo University about Paidha primary teachers college take over.
The Greater Nebbi subregion that comprises the Districts of Pakwach, Nebbi and Zombo has only three notable institutions that include the soon-to-be-phased Paidha primary teachers College, Ora technical institute Warr and Uganda College of Commerce Pakwach.
The coming of Kyambogo University in greater Nebbi is being viewed by many people as history in the making since the region has no university institution.
