By Peter Luzinda
KAGADI
Six school directors have been arrested in Kagadi District as authorities intensify a crackdown on private schools operating without valid licenses from the Ministry of Education and Sports.
The enforcement operation was carried out today, Tuesday, May 26, 2026 by a joint team of district education officials and security personnel, targeting institutions that had allegedly failed to comply with repeated directives to regularize their operations.
The affected schools include Nyaruziba SDA Nursery and Primary School, Nankulabye Demonstration Nursery and Primary School, Kitonzi Demonstration Nursery and Primary School, Elite Education Centre, City Light Nursery and Primary School, and Kurukuru Parents Nursery and Primary School.
According to district authorities, the schools had previously been inspected and warned over non-compliance but continued to operate and admit learners without obtaining the required licenses. Officials said the arrests were made after it was confirmed that the institutions were still functioning illegally.
Kagadi District education officials said the crackdown is part of an ongoing effort to bring order in the private education sector and ensure that all schools meet the minimum standards required for operation. They noted that unlicensed schools undermine education quality and expose learners to poor learning conditions.
Inspectors have raised concerns in the past about inadequate infrastructure, poor sanitation facilities, lack of proper registration documents, and insufficiently qualified teaching staff in some of the affected institutions. Authorities say such challenges are common among schools operating outside regulatory oversight.
The district leadership emphasized that licensing is a mandatory requirement designed to ensure schools are safe, properly staffed, and adequately equipped to provide quality education. They warned that failure to comply with the law will attract firm enforcement action.
Officials estimate that more than 200 private schools in Kagadi are currently operating without valid authorization, despite ongoing inspections and sensitization efforts aimed at encouraging compliance.
Parents have been advised to verify the legal status of schools before enrolling their children, with authorities cautioning that learners in unlicensed institutions risk disruptions to their studies in the event of closures.
The district has vowed to continue inspections and enforcement operations across all sub-counties until all schools are brought into compliance with national education standards.
