On June 27, 2024, a strike erupted at Okwerodot Seed Secondary School in Kole District, leading to the students locking the offices of key school administrators. This incident prompted a swift response from local authorities, including the police and district leaders.
Police spokesperson for the North Kyoga Region, SP Jimmy Patrick Okema, confirmed the strike in an official statement. The territorial police of Kole District, led by the District Police Commander (DPC), arrived at the school around 5:00 AM to address the situation. The strike was initially reported through a phone call to the DPC by the District Internal Security Officer (DISO), and a formal report was filed by Okello Patrick, the 63-year-old Chairperson of Okwerodot Parish.
A General Enquiry File (GEF) No. 10/2024 was opened at Kole Central Police Station (CPS) to investigate the reasons behind the strike. A team of police officers, along with the DPC, attended to the school promptly.
During the meeting held with school administrators, teachers, parents, student leaders, and other stakeholders, the students voiced several grievances. They reported disturbances by what they described as demons, and restrictions on holding prayers by the administrators. The students also complained about the use of inappropriate language by the headteacher, deputy headteacher, and the school bursar. Additional issues raised included the lack of term exams to evaluate student performance, insufficient medicine at the school health facility, some teachers skipping lessons, inadequate meals, lack of lighting in dormitories, and high school fees.
The teachers also expressed concerns, citing the administrators’ failure to implement resolutions from staff meetings and poor welfare conditions. One teacher highlighted that 22 teachers and 7 support staff subsisted on a breakfast costing only 5,000 Ugandan shillings. They also reported the use of inappropriate language by the headteacher and deputy headteacher.
In protest, the students had poured super glue into the padlocks of the offices belonging to the headteacher, deputy headteacher, and school bursar. The students demanded the removal of these administrators. The school’s enrollment has significantly declined from 280 students to 93 over two years.
The meeting concluded with several resolutions: forwarding the headteacher, deputy headteacher, and school bursar to the Ministry of Education for transfer, introducing a suggestion box within two weeks to allow students to submit their grievances (with the keys held by the District Education Officer), and ensuring closer supervision of teachers by the district education department. It was agreed that the locked offices be reopened and that students resume their classes as usual.
This strike at Okwerodot Seed Secondary School follows a similar recent incident at King James Secondary School in Lira City two weeks ago.
