Written By | BK Mugizi
Parental Care Nursery and Primary School from Bushenyi has won the 2026 National Primary Schools Music, Dance and Drama (MDD) Championship, ending Nakivubo Blue Primary School's two-year reign.
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BUSHENYI
Parental Care Nursery and Primary School from Bushenyi has won the 2026 National Primary Schools Music, Dance and Drama (MDD) Championship, ending Nakivubo Blue Primary School's two-year reign.
The Bushenyi-based school emerged as the overall winner ahead of 114 other schools at the week-long competition held at Bishop Willis Core Primary Teachers' College in Iganga District.
Nakivubo Blue, the defending champions, finished second, while Buganda Road Primary School took third place.
The results were announced on Sunday, August 30, during the closing ceremony attended by education officials, teachers, parents, pupils and other stakeholders.
Parental Care won the climate-change poem, folk song and storytelling categories.
The school scored 98 points in storytelling and tied with Nakivubo Blue on 96 points in the climate-change poem and 94 points in the folk song category.
The school also finished second in the traditional African-style performance and third in drama and instrumental performance.
The competition was held under the theme: "A safe learning environment for social transformation."
MDD and child development
Dr Florence Isabirye Muranga, Executive Director of the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID), who was the chief guest, said extracurricular activities were important for the holistic development of children.
She said classroom learning alone could not adequately prepare children for life, adding that safe learning environments should give learners opportunities to express themselves, ask questions, innovate and build confidence.
"Extracurricular activities are vital to the holistic development of children," Muranga said.
She commended schools, parents and pupils for embracing MDD and said Tooke would support MDD activities for the next three years.
Muranga also called for concerted efforts to address malnutrition, saying proper nutrition was essential for children's healthy development.
Ministry warns adjudicators
Robert Nikwapu, the Assistant Commissioner for Primary Education, said the Ministry of Education and Sports recognised MDD for its contribution to developing practical skills among learners.
He cautioned adjudicators against manipulating scores for personal interests, saying this could undermine competitions and give participants a false impression of their abilities.
Nikwapu also urged organisers to prioritise learners' welfare, particularly towards the end of competitions, by ensuring that programmes end early enough to allow pupils and teachers to travel safely.
A student of Parental Care Nursery and Primary Celebrating with an award
Second championship in three days
The MDD victory is Parental Care's second major championship win in three days.
On Friday, August 28, the school won the East African Community Debate Championship at King David Academy in Kigali, Rwanda.
The school's director, Trevor Yebazamukama, attributed the MDD success to the teamwork, commitment and dedication of teachers, parents and pupils.
He described the victory as the result of the collective effort of the entire school community.
The MDD championship attracted 115 schools, 7,763 learners and 53 officials from regional clusters across Uganda.
The event was supported by the United Nations, World Vision, UK Aid, Communication for Development Foundation Uganda (CDFU), Tooke and other partners.
The top 20 performers, together with the three best schools, were recognised and awarded a fully paid trip to the Tooke factory.
Top 10 schools
