Eronda
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 16, 2025
- 411
- 287
The shortage of infrastructure in Universal Secondary Education (USE) schools is inching towards crisis proportions, with some schools found to still be using condemned pit-latrine facilities.
At least 233 of the schools visited by the Auditor General’s office during a physical inspection of USE schools, between September and December 2025, were found to be using condemned pit-latrines.
The sanitation ratio recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is one latrine stance for every 25 girls and 1 for every 30–50 boys, including urinals.
That ratio is aimed at ensuring privacy, safety, and health. However, the Auditor General’s findings indicate that the situation in the USE schools is compromising all three considerations.
Many of those schools lack libraries, laboratories, classrooms, desks and accommodation facilities for teachers, classrooms and desks.
Classrooms in at least 252 schools were found to have cracked walls, while the iron sheets on 237 schools were found to be very old and damaged, a situation that posed a danger to the lives of students and teachers alike.
These are some of the findings contained in the Auditor General’s report for the period ending June 2025.
The report noted that the state of the infrastructure is negatively impacting education in USE schools.
“Inadequate support infrastructure affects the learning environment, which may lead to students’ poor performance, thus impairing the intended purpose of the USE capitation grant by the government,” the report stated.
Lack of labs
The same report revealed that 136 schools lacked science laboratories, while 270 schools had laboratories that were not adequately equipped.
Mr John Chrysostom Muyingo, the State minister for Higher Education, said the Ministry of Education and Sports is set to address the problem.
“We are aware that there are some [schools] that do not have laboratories. But when it comes to spending this time, we are putting much more into science and technology-related programmes in our educational institutions...And when you look at the budget that is going to be presented soon, a lot is put in the construction and equipping of science labs,’’ he said.
However, Mr Joseph Ssewungu, the Kalungu West Member of Parliament, who is also the shadow minister of Education, questioned the government’s commitment to making interventions in this matter.
“There is nothing you can do in education with the sitting regime. We just sit and talk. Take your time and read about what previous regimes used to handle the sector,” Mr Ssewungu said. ‘‘Compare how [former president] Obote was managing education and how these [officials] are managing it. It is a total mess.”
The Auditor General also found that these schools lacked other facilities that are required to facilitate effective teaching and learning.
Source: Daily monitor
At least 233 of the schools visited by the Auditor General’s office during a physical inspection of USE schools, between September and December 2025, were found to be using condemned pit-latrines.
The sanitation ratio recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is one latrine stance for every 25 girls and 1 for every 30–50 boys, including urinals.
That ratio is aimed at ensuring privacy, safety, and health. However, the Auditor General’s findings indicate that the situation in the USE schools is compromising all three considerations.
Many of those schools lack libraries, laboratories, classrooms, desks and accommodation facilities for teachers, classrooms and desks.
Classrooms in at least 252 schools were found to have cracked walls, while the iron sheets on 237 schools were found to be very old and damaged, a situation that posed a danger to the lives of students and teachers alike.
These are some of the findings contained in the Auditor General’s report for the period ending June 2025.
The report noted that the state of the infrastructure is negatively impacting education in USE schools.
“Inadequate support infrastructure affects the learning environment, which may lead to students’ poor performance, thus impairing the intended purpose of the USE capitation grant by the government,” the report stated.
Lack of labs
The same report revealed that 136 schools lacked science laboratories, while 270 schools had laboratories that were not adequately equipped.
Mr John Chrysostom Muyingo, the State minister for Higher Education, said the Ministry of Education and Sports is set to address the problem.
“We are aware that there are some [schools] that do not have laboratories. But when it comes to spending this time, we are putting much more into science and technology-related programmes in our educational institutions...And when you look at the budget that is going to be presented soon, a lot is put in the construction and equipping of science labs,’’ he said.
However, Mr Joseph Ssewungu, the Kalungu West Member of Parliament, who is also the shadow minister of Education, questioned the government’s commitment to making interventions in this matter.
“There is nothing you can do in education with the sitting regime. We just sit and talk. Take your time and read about what previous regimes used to handle the sector,” Mr Ssewungu said. ‘‘Compare how [former president] Obote was managing education and how these [officials] are managing it. It is a total mess.”
The Auditor General also found that these schools lacked other facilities that are required to facilitate effective teaching and learning.
Source: Daily monitor
