By Denis Turyahebwa
The Iganga District Inspector of Schools, Mr George Tigawalana, was on Monday arrested for allegedly misappropriating money meant for registration of 20 pupils, which made them miss Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
Mr. Tigawalana’s arrest came after the pupils of Bahrain Nursery and Primary School in Buseyi Village, Nakalama Sub-county, reached at school in the morning, ready to sit for the exams but unfortunately they were denied access to sit for the papers.
They were later shocked to learn that they were not registered despite each of them having paid 80,000 shillings for registration and 17,000 shillings as facilitation for the two-day exams.
The disappointed pupils went back home and in a moment, returned with their parents and police officers, who immediately arrested the Director of the school, Mr Mubarak Musimami, and took him to Iganga Police Station.
Mr Musimami was then granted bail after recording a statement. However, he told journalists at the police station that he collected the registration fees and handed in over to the District Inspector of Schools to register the pupils.
“I collected the money and paid it to the Inspector of Schools to register the pupils and was also shocked to learn that they (pupils) were not registered,” he told journalists.
Mr Tigawalana was thereafter arrested and later released on police bond. He, however, declined to speak to the press.
The Iganga District Police Commander, Mr Nasibu Ndita, declined to comment on the matter as well.
The pupils with their parents later went to the district headquarters to petition the Resident District Commissioner but did not find him at his office.
“I am shocked and I don’t know why they did this to us,” said Mariam Nanteza, one of the affected pupils.
“It has affected me greatly because as a girl, I am growing very fast and there are a lot of temptations. With this big size of mine, I don’t know whether next year I will go back to school,” Aidha Mutesi, another pupil said.
