Fr. Kwitonda Thanks Government for 41 Years of ‘Nothing’ at St. Francis Buhunga High School.
Rukungiri: The curate at Rutooma Catholic Parish and chaplain for all schools under the parish Rev. Fr. Kwitonda Ponsiano, has criticized Rukungiri district authorities for failing to construct any government infrastructure at St. Francis Buhunga High School in the past 41 years.
Fr. Kwitonda noted that despite the school being government-aided, no single building, not even a toilet, has been built by the government.
Fr. Kwitonda made these remarks on March 19, during celebrations at St. Francis Buhunga High School, where the community honored the outstanding performance of former Senior 4 and 6 students in the 2024 national exams. The school registered 86 students for UCE, all of whom passed in Result One. Additionally, 60 students sat for UACE, all passing, with the top performer scoring 18 out of 20 points. This achievement ranked the school second in academic performance across Rukungiri district.
The priest’s statement came after the school’s headteacher, Julius Mugisha Kakwara, informed government representatives at the event including officials from the office of the Rukungiri Chief Administrative Officer, the LCV chairperson’s office, the education department, and local leaders that the government had never constructed any building at the school since its establishment in 1984.
Rev Fr Kwitonda stated that if he were these leaders who are supposed to be the voices of the people, he would use this Lent season to repent for continuously making empty promises. He criticized officials for repeatedly telling the school community over the years from 1984 to 2025 that they would be considered for infrastructure support, yet nothing had been done. He urged political leaders to push for at least the construction of a toilet, emphasizing that he was not commanding but appealing for their intervention.
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Headteacher Mugisha reiterated the school’s challenges, highlighting a lack of classrooms, science and computer laboratories, and staff and student accommodation. He added that while the school serves over 600 learners under the Universal Secondary Education (USE) program, it remains neglected. Currently, only 27 out of 41 teachers are on the government payroll, forcing parents to shoulder the burden of paying the remaining teachers and 16 non-teaching staff.
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The Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Tracy Asiimwe, who represented the guest of honor CAO Hajji Swalihk Masokoyi Wasswa, and Rukungiri district Vice LCV Chairperson Santrinah Nahwera, congratulated the school on its academic success. They also pledged to present the school’s concerns to the relevant authorities in hopes of securing government support.
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