State House Passes Out 1,738 Students After Patriotism Training in Rukungiri

Rukungiri: A total of 1,738 students from four schools in Rukungiri Municipality have passed out after completing a seven-day patriotism training programme conducted under the State House National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps.

The joint pass-out ceremony was held on October 3, at Immaculate Heart Girls School Nyakibale and was officiated by Commissioner Hellen Seku, the State House Private Secretary to the President on Youth and a representative of the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps.

The schools that participated in the training included Immaculate Heart Girls School Nyakibale, Makobore High School, Kinyasano Girls High School and Karoli Lwanga Institute of Health Sciences.

Immaculate Heart Girls School had 962 students, Makobore High School had 227, Kinyasano Girls High School had 280, while Karoli Lwanga Institute of Health Sciences had 419 students.

The trainees were mainly Senior One and Senior Five students, as well as first-year, first-semester students from Karoli Lwanga Institute of Health Sciences.

While speaking at the pass-out ceremony, Commissioner Hellen Seku urged the students to avoid behaviours that could expose them to HIV and other health risks.

Seku also encouraged them to remain in school, work hard and focus on building their future instead of rushing into early marriages that could affect their lives.

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The host headteacher of Immaculate Heart Girls School Nyakibale, Sister Sabina Tumusiime, thanked Commissioner Seku for officiating at the ceremony and appreciated the other headteachers for allowing their students to take part in the training.

Sister Tumusiime said the patriotism programme equips Ugandans with knowledge and skills that promote love for the country and encourage citizens to contribute to national development.

Other school leaders, including Makobore High School headteacher Gard Arinaitwe Gakibayo, Kinyasano Girls High School headteacher Allen Kiyasiimire and the Deputy Principal of Karoli Lwanga Institute of Health Sciences, Monic Kobusingye, called for patriotism training to be conducted regularly.

They compared the programme to the work of churches, saying that just as churches continue preaching the word of God, patriotism training should also continue equipping young people with skills for nation building.

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The Deputy Resident District Commissioner of Rukungiri, Wilberforce Ahimbisibwe Ongom, urged the students to maintain discipline and demonstrate good leadership in whatever they do.

The Rukungiri District Coordinator in charge of Patriotism, Vital Bashasha, however, raised concerns over the shortage of patriotism uniforms in schools.

Bashasha also said patriotism patrons have gone for a long time without refresher courses, while some headteachers and teachers lack adequate training in patriotism programmes.

Bashasha called on the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps to intervene and address these challenges.

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