Students and teachers from Amugo Agro Technical Institute in Alebtong district have vowed to hold a peaceful demonstration in response to alleged financial mismanagement.
They claim that the mismanaged funds are being used for personal gain by two key institute officers.
In a letter dated March 21, 2025, addressed to Alebtong’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the students expressed their dissatisfaction with Okite Richard, acting deputy principal, and bursar Lucy Apio.
Students, with full support from some teachers, accuse Okite and Apio of corruption and abuse of office.
Their letter cites a lack of transparency, poor relationships with both students and teachers, welfare, harassment and intimidation, and an unpaid allowance for teachers, among other issues.
The allegations are summarized as follows:
•Financial mismanagement
•Procurement irregularities
•Abuse of office
•Conflict of interest; and
•Other forms of maladministration
Teachers, student leaders, and Jimmy Okello, Alebtong’s Assistant Resident District Commissioner (ARDC), all attended a meeting at the institute on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
The meeting resulted in several resolutions, one of which was that students return to class for normal learning.
Two, teachers were required to resume regular teaching.
Three, it was agreed that the accused officers, Okite Richard and Apio Lucy, should step aside while investigations are conducted.
Another meeting will be held in two weeks, with additional stakeholders from the Alebtong district local government.
The meeting was postponed because the accused, acting deputy principal and bursar, and chairman of the board of governors, Howard Onyok, were all absent.
When asked about his absence from the meeting, Onyok gave two reasons:
One, he claimed to have received the meeting invitation late, via WhatsApp, and had already made other arrangements.
Two, he was upset that teachers and students had reported problems to district officials rather than addressing them directly with board members.
He added that the accused were hired at the Amugo Agro Technical Institute through interviews. He stated that Okite served as acting principal until the current principal, Francis Kol, took over in early February 2025.
Kol succeeded Charles Otai, who left last year due to student protests. Otai succeeded Samuel Baramaga Mujunga, who had retired.
The board chairperson highlighted the institute’s financial situation, which includes significant debts due to parents’ failure to pay fees and insufficient government grants.
Specifically, the school owes money to a food supplier, as well as pending payments for other activities totaling over shs60 million.
“As board members, the current principal has been tasked with settling the institute’s debts using school fees and exploring other sources of revenue,” Onyok added.
By Regina Lalam Olal.
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