Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Ruhinda North MP Hon. Thomas Tayebwa has questioned the accuracy of figures published by the Daily Monitor claiming that at least 31,000 pupils drop out of school every day in Uganda.
Quoting the story on X (formerly Twitter), Tayebwa expressed disbelief, pointing out that the numbers simply do not add up.
“Very interesting figures @DailyMonitor. This would translate into 11.4 million children dropping out while enrollment is 9.5 million!” he said.
According to the Ministry of Education and Sports, Uganda’s current primary school enrollment stands at about 9.5 million learners, while secondary enrollment is slightly over 2 million. Tayebwa argued that suggesting 31,000 children drop out daily would mean more children are leaving school than are actually enrolled — an impossible scenario.
This is not the first time the Daily Monitor has come under criticism for publishing what government officials describe as misleading or exaggerated statistics. A few weeks ago, Parliament suspended the Nation Media Group, the parent company of Daily Monitor, from covering its events over what it called biased and inaccurate reporting.
Similarly, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni previously directed government departments to stop granting coverage access to the media house, accusing it of distorting information and undermining national efforts.
Tayebwa’s latest remarks add to growing concerns among government officials about the credibility of some of the media house’s publications.
