By Naboth Isaac Niwagaba
apearlnews.com
The Kabale Catholic Headteachers Association has threatened to withdraw from the organization that represents all Kabale District headteachers, accusing their Anglican counterparts of using their numerical majority to occupy all important offices during the recent election to choose new leadership. In their petition dated February 14, 2022, addressed to the Patron, who is also the Kabale District Education Officer, the headteachers in the Catholic Schools Association allege that there were irregularities and religious segregation in the election held on February 11, 2022, to choose the leadership of the Kabale Primary School Headteachers Association.
The ballot election, whose voting procedure was by ballot, ended up having only 1 Catholic headteacher out of the 7 members of the mainstream leadership, while they only managed to get 4 out of 10 subcounty leadership slots.
The association is made up of 110 primary school headteachers from the Kabale District, and 70 of the members with voting rights are Anglicans, while 40 are Catholics.
While speaking to our reporter, Charles Akankwasa, the former Chairperson of the Kabale Catholic Headteachers’ Association, said they had intelligence that the Anglicans convened in a caucus meeting to plan on how to use their majority membership and deny Catholics important positions through the election.
Mr. Akankwasa, who is also the Muyumbu Primary School Headteacher, said it is on this note that the Catholics held a meeting on February 14th and agreed to withdraw membership and form their own District Association if their complaints are not handled to satisfaction.
However, the newly elected Chairperson of the Kabale District Headteacher’s Association, Alex Biryomumeisho, dismissed allegations that the February 11th election was based on religious segregation. Mr. Biryomumeisho, who is also the Nyabushabi Primary School teacher, argued that if the election was marred by religious segregation, no Catholic would be elected into any office since the Anglicans have the majority voting rights. Biryomumeisho, an Anglican, also explained that he gathered 60 votes, yet only 57 Anglican voters participated in the election, an indication that voting was by merit rather than religious segregation.
The Kabale District Chairperson of the Uganda National Teachers Association-UNATU, Geofrey Beinomugisha, asked the two sides to sit at a round table and design a way forward. He, however, advised them to ensure that they stick to the rules and regulations that govern the association, which implied that a review of the constitution could be one of the solutions to the problems arising in the elections.
While speaking to this media house in a phone interview, the Kabale District Education Officer, Moses Bwengye Tumwijukye, acknowledged having received the petition from the Catholic School Headteachers Association.
He said he was out for a seminar in Moroto District by the time he received the petition, and he decided to postpone the ceremony in which the new leadership would take up instruments of power from the outgoing leaders. However, Mr. Tumwijukye said the solution to the current conflict could only be found by the members of the Headteachers’Association from both sides since they designed the constitution on whose guidelines the controversial election was held.
He said he would communicate the date for a meeting to dialogue about the arising matters.
THE ELECTION.
On 11th 2022, the Kabale Primaryhool Haedteacgers Association held an election to choose new leaders and this is how the results were as follows: Mainstream Leadership
1.Chairperson-Alex Biryomumeisho, Headteacher, Nyabushabi Primary School (Anglican) 2. Vice Chairperson-Charity Tibahitana, Headteacher, Muyebe Primary School (Anglican) 3.Secretary-Gilbert Bajunwoha, Headteacher, Rwesasi Primary School (Anglican) 4.Vice Secretary-Jacqueline Mwesigwa, Headteacher, Nyamyerambiko Primary School (Anglican) 5.Treasurer-Ariheihi Allen, Headteacher, Nyakagyera Primary School (Anglican) 6 Publicity Secretary-Saturday Corpenicus, Headteacher, Kakondo Primary School (Anglican) 7.Secretary for Women’s Affairs: Agnes Ahimbisibwe, Headteacher, Kyasaano Primary School (Catholic): Subcounty Representatives 1. Kamuganguzi Subcounty-Innocent TurayamureebA (Catholic) 2. Kitumba Subcounty: Sabiti Patrick, Kiniogo P.S (Catholic) 3. Butanda Subcounty-Samuel Agaba, Kyinyamari P.S (Anglican) 4. Kahungye Subcounty: Justus Turyahumura, Rubaya P.S (Anglican) 5.Rubaya Subcounty-Benious Akankwasa, Burimba P.S (Anglican) 6. Kaharo Subcounty-Basensa Andrew, Kaharo P.S (Anglican) 7.Ryakarimira Town Council-Derrick Asiimwe, Rukore P.S (Anglican) 8.Katuna Town Council-Patrick Begyira, Mukarangye P.S (Anglican) 9. Buhara Subcounty-Patrick Niwagaba, Kabahesi P.S (Anglican) 10. Kyanamira Subcounty-Charles Akankwasa, Muyumbu P.S (Catholic) 11. Maziba Subcounty-Elias Byaruhanga, Maziba P.S (Catholic) 12. Kibuga Subcounty-Kenneth Besigye, Kibuga P.S (Anglican).
