By Our Reporter
KATAKWI
It was a moment of joy spiced with smiles, laughter and amusement as government through the Ministry of Education granted Katakwi district another Seed Secondary School!
Construction for this school-Okore Seed Secondary School in Kelim village, Okore sub county, Ngariam county was flagged off on Tuesday, 27th February, 2024 by the Vice President Maj. Jessica Alupo.
The project sitting on an 8-acre piece of land offered by Soroti Catholic Diocese, will cost government a total of Sh849m in the first phase.
Under phase one, construction of 4 classroom blocks, staff houses, administration block and pit latrines among other facilities in six months will be done.
Alupo in conjunction with Katakwi district authorities yesterday handed over the construction site to the contractor-Dag Investments Limited in a colorful ceremony which left locals speaking in tongues as if the Holly Spirit had possessed them.
This is the second project to be launched in Katakwi after that of Okulonyo Seed Secondary School, in a space of two weeks by the ‘boots on the ground’ Vice President who is also Katakwi district woman MP, Jessica Alupo!
She assured the people of Katakwi and Ugandans at large that government is indebted to serving and bringing services to them.
Alupo emphasized that it is now a government policy to continue in a phased way to establish a seed secondary school in every sub county and a primary school in every parish across the country.
Available data reveals that there are presently 1,617 parishes without a public primary school and 350 sub-counties without a secondary school.
She appealed to residents to monitor the construction works to ensure value for money and also thanked the people who turned up in big numbers for the groundbreaking ceremony for getting back to their ancestral land since government has caused peace in the border sub counties and districts.
“I appeal to people willing to work with the Contractor to display good behaviour so that you can earn a living from it and uplift their family income” she said.
Alupo who was welcomed with a thunderous applause from her own voters also appealed to the district council to pass a resolution that prevents people from degrading the environment especially through burning bushes as it kills soil fertility.
She urged parents to let children go to school now that they have Epel Memorial Institute which is now taking in students.
“We currently have two technical schools one in Usuk county and the other in Ngariam county, Katakwi technical school. Let all children go to school, whether disabled, girl or boy child, so that they can get jobs that can sustain their families,” Alupo appealed, emphasizing that Marriage will be after graduation.
The woman MP also advised communities to get ready for the planting season. “You should not sit and wait for rains and wake up to plant when not planned. Please plan in advance that’s when you’ll get good yields,” she said and also asked cattle keepers to always take care of their animals to avoid thefts.
Meanwhile, Chairman Geoffrey Omolo asked the contractor to follow the Bills of Quantities and appealed to all stakeholders to do the respective roles while implementing the project. He also appealed to the contractor to deliver good works.
The RDC Katakwi district Maj. Godfrey Katamba said this financial year Katakwi has got funding for the two seed schools of Okulonyo and Okore seed schools and government through the vice president for extending services to the people.
In another development, Man of God at St. Simon Catholic Parish, Magoro thanked government for partnering with the church to extend services closer to its people.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by district authorities, security chiefs of the region and locals.
