Tension and grief have gripped Busamba Ward in Kisoro Municipality as residents protest the continued neglect of the former Kisoro Primary Teachers’ College (PTC).
The facility, which was approved to become a health institute affiliated with Kabale University, has instead been left idle and is now being used for grazing animals and hosting private events.
In April 2019, the Government of Uganda adopted the National Teacher Policy, which phased out Grade III teacher training colleges. In response, the Kisoro District Council passed a resolution in late 2023 to repurpose the defunct PTC into a health training institute under Kabale University, with the aim of eventually granting it independent status.
Two years later, however, the premises remain unused for education. Residents say classrooms have been turned into cattle sheds, furniture is being used for overnight prayer meetings, and the compound now hosts weddings and grazing animals a situation they describe as a shocking misuse of public resources.
According to Kazungu James, the LC1 chairperson of Bikoro A in Busamba Ward, Southern Division, Kisoro Municipality where the former PTC is located the land is currently being used for animal rearing, with the once well-equipped classroom blocks now serving as cattle sheds.
Kazungu condemned the misuse of the facility, saying that buildings once considered permanent are now treated as temporary because they are occupied by animals and used for overnight conferences and wedding ceremonies.
James Agaba, the LCV councilor for Southern Division, urged the community to remain patient. He explained that affiliating the former PTC to Kabale University requires several legal and administrative steps, including signing agreements between the district and the university.
But Ndayisaba Emmanuel, LCV councilor for Nyakinama Sub-County and one of the 2023 resolution’s proponents, accused district leaders, including the speaker, LCV chairman, and chief administrative officer of redundancy and failing to implement the council’s decision.
Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) coordinator Musanase Juliet also called on Kisoro’s political leaders to intervene, noting that the college could have been a significant source of income for the district but is instead being used as grazing land.
District LCV Chairman Abel Bizimana acknowledged that political divisions have slowed development but maintained that progress is underway. He said Kabale University is currently waiting for a final letter from the Ministry of Education and Sports for an official takeover of the stranded facility.
Founded on July 2, 1982, Kisoro PTC emerged from the merger of two study centres — one in Rubanda led by David Murasanyi and another at Seseme led by Munyangabo S.W. David. The college once ranked among Uganda’s best teacher training institutions, taking third place nationally in the Grade III certificate exams in 2019 and second in 2020.
Today, however, the same buildings and furniture once used to train teachers are being used for livestock, overnight prayers, and ceremonies, with goats, cattle, sheep, and pigs roaming the compound, a stark contrast to its former prestige.
