By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
A whistleblower has petitioned the office of the Speaker of Parliament over what he/she calls solicitation of money from Head teachers, Deputy Head teachers, and Teachers before profiling or giving them Jobs by the Commissioner Secondary Education, Sam Kuloba.
According to the petition dated 20th July, 2023 and received by the office of the Speaker on 25th July, 2023, the whistleblower accuses Kuloba of ‘open and consistent corruption and irregular deployment of staff.’
The whistleblower says he is one of the top leaders of the Association of Secondary School Head teachers of Uganda (ASSHU), a body that brings together all head teachers for professional development.
Kuloba is accused of diverting most of the World Bank school projects to Bududa district where he allegedly hails from. The whistleblower names the 4 Seed Schools Kuloba has constructed in Bududa district as; Bubiita, Nakatsi, Bushiiyi and Buwagogo alleging that Kuloba is doing this to prepare for his political career.
In the petition, Kuloba is accused of recommending over 40 staff early 2023 to the Education Service Commission for Suitability interviews for positions of Head and Deputy Head teachers.
However, according to the whistleblower, the deal seems to have failed and yet the Commissioner allegedly got Shs5M from each of the recommended staff. Attempts by the dissatisfied staff for a refund of their hard earned cash has only fallen on deaf ears.
Kuloba allegedly asks for hefty kickbacks from Deputies who are given Acting positions especially in Schools with populations above 1000 students. These kickbacks are as high as Shs10M per release of Capitation Grant (termly) and calls them Tithes. Should the Acting fail to pay the tithe, he posts there another Substantive Head teacher.
Kuloba among other ‘crimes’ is said to have appointed his brother as a Deputy Head teacher and subsequently Acting Head Teacher of Butesa Senior Secondary School, which the petitioner says is unusual in Education Service.
Among other accusations, Kuloba is said to have meddled in the Head Teacher transfer of St. Henry’s Kisubi, conniving with head teachers where expansion projects are recommended by him, and inflation of cost of new curriculum books.
He is also in the spotlight for using the leadership of The Association of Secondary School Headteachers of Uganda (ASSU) like Brother Mugabo of St. Henry High School Kitovu to profile him to secure a contract since his due for retirement this month of August 2023.
The whistleblower now wants the Speaker of Parliament to carry out an independent investigation by interviewing Secondary School Head Teachers and other Commissioners in the Ministry of Education.
Speaking to Mr Kuloba on the phone, he claimed that a group of mafia was fighting him and all the above information is malicious only intended to soil a name he has worked for years to build.
“I am out of the country, someone who doctored those malicious allegations rung me and said he wanted money or else he would publish the malice, I told him I have no money. This is the outcome, the truth will come out because all those allegations are not true,” Mr. Kuloba responded.
