Launch of Museveni School in Tanzania stirs controversy in Uganda

Ugandans on social media are u in arms against a decision by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to donate a school worth USD 1.6 Million, an equivalent of 5.6 Billion Ugandan Shillings to Tanzania.

H.E Museveni commissioned the Primary School that he donated to the people of Tanzania on Monday, causing a stir amongst Ugandans.

The school named Museveni Nursery and Primary School is located in Nyabirezi Village, Chato District, Geita region, the home and final resting place of the late President John Pombe Magufuli’s.    

He officially handed over the school during his just-concluded working visit to the United Republic of Tanzania where he had gone to attend the Tanzania-Uganda Oil and Gas Symposium that discussed opportunities presented by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project held in Dar-el-salaam.    

The school which sits on 11.5 acres of land has several facilities which are lacking in many Ugandan schools including an administration block, classroom block with sixteen classrooms and two staff rooms, resource center, main dining hall, kitchen, kindergarten block with two classrooms, and staff residence with two units in one block. 

Construction of the school has taken 12 months having started in February 2020 during the covid-19 year and was completed in March.  

President Samia Suluhu Hassan described the gesture as “not an easy feat”.

However, several Ugandans took to social media to criticize the move, comparing the school to several dilapidated UPE schools in several parts of Uganda.

Opposition parties also joined in to criticize the move.