Education PS Ketty Lamaro Vows To Defy Minister/ Parliamentary Committee Resolutions In Halting Transfers At Mbale School For The Deaf, Threatens To Transfer Sister Rose Nelima To Remote Areas.

 

There is cold war in the Ministry of Education and sports and parliamentary committee, Education and sports, regarding the halting of the transfer of the head teacher, Mbale School for the Deaf, Sister Rose Nelima.

Friction has erupted between the state Minister John Chrysestom Muyingo and the Ms. Ketty Lamaro, the ministry permanent secretary, after she vowed to use her powers to transfer Sister rose Nelima , even after parliament holding the transfers pending investigations in irregularities at the institution.

Our sources have also confirmed to us that the PS has been frustrating Sister Rose Nelima with calls instructing her to leave the school or else she transfers her to a remote area as a punishment to defy her transfers.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.

on the 30th of August, the Parliament Committee of Education and Sports stopped the transfer of Sister Rose Nelima from Mbale School for the deaf.

HOW IT STARTED:

On the 23rd of August 2023, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, Mr. Richard Enyomu issued a transfer letter which indicated that sister Rose had been replaced with Mr. Wandulu Dismus, the HM of  Namawanga Secondary School.

WHY IS THE ISSUE BEFORE PARLIAMENT?

The sagas at Mbale School for the Deaf have existed for over three years. 

This prompted the Parliament Committee of Education and Sports to visit the school a few weeks ago to establish facts into various allegations Including:- Corruption, Mismanagement of funds & other irregularities. 

Upon getting to the school, all members of the committee were shocked after seeing the development and equipment which is installed at the school for the deaf.

Today the 30th of August 2023, the committee Invited the Commissioner of Special Needs Sarah  Bugosi, the Ministry of Education and Sports permanent Secretary, Mr. Richard Enyomu, and the State Minister for Higher Education Hon. John Chrysostom Muyingo to respond to several issues surrounding  Mbale School for the deaf, including the transfers which were horridly made yet investigations were ongoing.

While appearing before the committee at parliament this afternoon, PS Enyomu was ordered to take oath before making his submissions and disclosed that the Ministry of Education is most likely to reverse the transfer of Wandulu pending the completion of an investigation into allegations of irregularities at Namawanga SS.

It was established by parliament that Mr. Wandulu is under investigation for allegedly including more than 40 students of special needs in the school register at Namaawanga SS to extract funds from the Government. 

It has also been alleged that Mr Wandulu inflated numbers at Namawanga Secondary School.

The Parliament committee is also Investigating allegations of Commissioner Bugosi for directly involving self in the saga above. 

It was also noticed that the transfer had money exchange hands. 

Minister Muyingo regretted some decisions like the transfers and promised the committee that this mess was going to be handled.

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Parents and members of the Board governing body of Busoba School of the deaf Expressed grief over the continuous mistreatment of their Headteacher Sister Rose Nelima.

According to them, Nelima has faced a lot of hardships in the most recent times with certain elements calling for her sacking claiming that she is mismanaging school funds something she completely denies.

In a Crisis Meeting which was held at the School on Friday 28th April 2023, Parents and the Board convened at the main hall to discuss the way forward to the increased harassment of Sister Rose Nelima (Headteacher).

In their submissions, they condemned some key figures like the Commissioner of Special Needs Ministry of Education, Twaib Ayub a Board Member, and also an old student who organized a demonstration in Kampala demanding for the resignation of Sister Rose Nelima.

According to Wafula Lockman the chairman board of governors, on 11 November 2022, the commissioner of special needs in the Ministry of Education visited the School and Convened several meetings with students and Teachers in which she discussed several issues with them.

"The Commissioner came here and met with the teachers but instead of guiding them She instead told them that 'Whenever you come here don't eat food, they will poison you, never eat the food at the school'' Now that meeting left the hearing staff and non-hearing staff divided and that's where the problem started." He noted. 

He further said that after the incident the situation normalized but on the 28th, a former student and a board member Twaib Ayub organized a demonstration in Kampala against the leadership of Sister Rose Nelima.

"We have organized over 3 meetings to resolve the matter but Mr. Ayub has since failed to appear at the school premises for the meetings".- Wafula

On 23rd March Students marched from Mbale School of the Deaf to Mbale District Headquarters but only to be intercepted on the way. 

Micheal Oguttu, the chairman of PTA during his address to the Stakeholders noted that its greedy headteachers in the neighborhood are fueling the rumors about the dismissal of Sister Rose Nelima as the Headteacher.

He added that No one understands Children with Special Needs like Rose Nelima does and that it would be a dis-service to transfer her and bring in a new headteacher who is totally green about special needs Children (the deaf in particular).

He also commended Sister Rose Nelima for the great transaction of the school in terms of infrastructure and enrollment from less than 100 to now 520 in just Five years.

During her address, Rose Nelima highlighted the following;

Increased enrollment to 520 students in both vocational and secondary wings, the building of dormitories, building staff quarters, and Building perimeter wall.

Lobbying a perimeter wall in 2020 from the, Government which was constructed and completed a school Bus which is still in the pipeline from the Ministry of Education.

Aid and Funding increased from shillings 43 million to 270 million shillings. She however says this increase in funding is one of the factors she is being fought as haters think she is swimming in cash and that they want to kick her out and take over.

 11 teachers were on payroll but after interviews, 34 got posting letters and now a total of 43 teachers are on payroll out of 170 Total staff.

She acknowledged and praised UPDF for giving them professional officers who helped them boost the Technical Wing.

She also noted that Mbale School of the Deaf is among the Six top sporting schools in the country but highlighted the need to improve the basketball court and also build a swimming pool.

"My plan is the School bus which has not yet been received from the Government, CCTV cameras are being worked on as well, and lamps and walkways to be improved." Sister Rose.

She told the congregation that the alleged mismanaged perimeter wall fence was completely out of her hands and that the contract was given and payments made by the center.

Nelima noted that though she is going through difficulty, she can only turn to God for Protection.