Kampala raid on schools nets 74 teachers

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Up to 74 teachers were this afternoon questioned by the police after being rounded up in an enforcement operation of measures to control the spread of COVID-19.

Of these, 21 of the teachers were picked from Kabojja Junior School, where, according to the school administrators, they had gone to prepare packages to share with parents and children during the ongoing recess. The other 53 teachers were arrested from Daffodils Primary School, where they said they had gone to email students work.

Schools across the country were prematurely closed at the end of last week, following a presidential directive aimed at controlling large gatherings, a precursor for the spread of the strain of the virus, which has so far claimed 12,784 lives across the world. Ugandans were thereafter advised to stay at home in self-quarantine.

Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire says that the police were tipped by members of the public after seeing adults and pupils enter the school. At the time of the invasion, there were only five children of different ages at the school, some of them kids of teachers. The teachers were charged with disobedience of lawful orders.

Kabojja Junior School administrator Sophie Kitiibwa told journalists after recording her statement that the teachers were at the school preparing holiday packages meant to keep learners busy during the abrupt school break.

But Owoyesigyire says that although workplaces were not closed, no teachers are expected to be in schools for the next 30 days. He says the arrests should act as a warning for any school of teacher that might be tempted to disregard the president’s directive.

Alex Kakooza, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education says that all arrangements by the schools were illegal.

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