A health crisis is brewing in Budaka District resulting from a shortage of pit latrines in most schools. Even the few existing ones are in a sorry state.
The district, which has 59 government-aided primary schools, is facing a sanitation disease outbreak as most schools do not have enough pit latrines for their learners.
The headmaster of Budaka Family Helper Project Primary School, Mr. Eriya Poli, disclosed that despite the school having an enrollment of 2,411 learners, they have only 15 pit-latrine stances.
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The school had taken more than 15 years without getting support in terms of pit-latrines until in the last financial year when our school got five pit-latrine stances, but this is still insufficient,” Mr. Poli began.
He added that the pit-latrine-pupil ratio currently stands at 1:100 instead of the recommended 1:25.
The head teacher of Kamonkoli Mixed Day and Boarding Primary School, Mr. Fred Muduku, said the facility, with a learner enrolment of 1,463, has only 10 pit-latrine stances.
“In the Financial Year 2022/2023, the school got five pit-latrine stances, which are being used by the girls and shared with female teachers. However, the facility is currently overutilized. The rest of the pit latrines are dilapidated and condemned for use,” Mr. Muduko said.
Mr. Patrick Ntende, the school Parent-Teacher Association chairperson, reiterated the facts, adding that some learners are forced to sneak into teachers’ pit latrines.
“The school’s pit latrines are filled up because they are overused, while others have sunk in, leaving many teachers and pupils with no option but to share the few pit latrines or ease themselves in the nearby bushes.”
Mr. Isaac Mudangha, a member of the management committee of Kamonkoli Mixed Day and Boarding Primary School, also echoed the lack of enough pit-latrines, adding that it is putting the health of the children and teachers at risk.
The district senior education officer, Ms. Khanifa Mugala, acknowledged the challenge but said the district is constrained due to limited resources.
“We give priority to those schools that are so badly off; although it is true the challenge cuts across all schools but there are those that are in dire need,” Mr. Mugala disclosed.
The Budaka District Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Richard Mugolo, said the district is only able to provide 20 pit-latrine stances per year due to resource constraints.
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