By Edson Kinene
MBARARA,
As Uganda marks 28 years since the introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE), the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Committed Cadres have mobilised beneficiaries to celebrate the milestone at a national event scheduled for November 23 at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds. UPE was introduced in 1997 following a key 1996 presidential campaign pledge by President Yoweri Museveni. According to Ministry of Education statistics, pupil enrolment has grown from 2.5 million in 1996 to 8.6 million in 2024, signalling one of the most significant expansions in Uganda’s education sector.
Speaking at a press briefing at Agip Motel in Mbarara, Paul Abaho, the national coordinator of the NRM Committed Cadres, said the celebrations are organised under the party’s national mobilisation message, “Protecting the Gains.” He noted that beneficiaries of UPE and USE feel obliged to safeguard the achievements made in universal education.
Abaho clarified that the Kololo event is not a political campaign but a thanksgiving ceremony recognising President Museveni’s role in establishing free education. “We invited President Museveni to the thanksgiving ceremony, and he accepted to be the chief guest,” Abaho said, urging all beneficiaries to attend.
Johnson Twebaze Matuza, the national chairperson of the group, said free education has transformed the lives of millions of Ugandans by enabling children from disadvantaged households to acquire knowledge and professional skills. “The last 28 years of free education have produced lawyers, doctors, engineers, farmers, businesspeople and many other professionals who are now contributing to national development,” Twebaze said.
UPE was introduced in 1997, and a decade later, government rolled out Universal Secondary Education (USE) to support continued learning at secondary level. Organisers say beneficiaries from across the country will converge at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds to celebrate the milestone and appreciate President Museveni for expanding access to education.
Torch Media Africa
