By Our Staff Reporter

Namisindwa,Uganda – Monday, 10 August 2026.
The Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations, Hon. Simon Mulongo, has directed the Regional Police Commander (RPC) for Mbale Region to launch an urgent investigation into administrative and governance failures at St. John’s Magale Secondary School in Namisindwa District.

In a letter dated 9 August 2026, addressed to the RPC Mbale, Mulongo said the matters came to light during a recent anti-corruption campaign and public Baraza held at Magale, which he attended in support of Hon. Balamu Barigahare, Minister for Local Government. He said testimonies at the Baraza raised serious concerns over the conduct of the school’s Headteacher and a deterioration in governance, prompting calls for the Headteacher’s replacement and for the senior Deputy Headteacher to take over in an acting capacity, pending lawful administrative and investigative processes.


The Minister revealed he had personally alerted the District Police Commander (DPC) Namisindwa on 6 August 2026 but expressed concern that no visible action had been taken, with the Headteacher reportedly still moving freely around Magale despite the gravity of the complaints.

Mulongo said the situation escalated on Wednesday, 5 August 2026, when the Headteacher allegedly closed the school without following proper administrative procedure, disrupting examination preparations for Senior Four and Senior Six candidates. He stressed that government bears responsibility for supervising education institutions and safeguarding students’ interests under the Education (Pre-Primary, Primary and Post-Primary) Act, 2008.

The letter also cites information from a confidential whistleblower linked to the Magale Parish community, alleging a longstanding pattern of weak governance, irregular decision-making and obstruction of accountability at the school. Mulongo emphasised that the whistleblower’s identity must be strictly protected under the Whistleblowers Protection Act, warning that unlawful disclosure of a source’s identity is a criminal offence.

Further allegations cited in the letter claim the Headteacher unilaterally increased school fees in 2023 without proper approval, prompting a parents’ petition to the Ministry of Education and Sports that was allegedly never effectively acted upon. Mulongo directed that this claim be verified against Ministry records, Board minutes, school accounts and statements from affected parents.

The Minister also raised alarm over the school’s Board of Governors, whose term he said expired roughly a year ago before being renewed with largely the same membership, without adequate consultation or replacement of representatives from constituent bodies as required under Schedule 3 and Sections 29–30 of the Education Act. He said the alleged governance failures had contributed to a serious decline in the school’s performance, and noted similar concerns had been raised regarding Magale Health Centre IV/Magale Mission Hospital.

Mulongo instructed the RPC to ensure the DPC Namisindwa, working with the D/CID and relevant investigators, takes up the matter without further delay — recording statements from complainants and witnesses, investigating the Baraza testimonies, and securing relevant school, Board, financial and Ministry records. He underscored that police action must remain strictly evidence-led, noting that under Section 23 of the Police Act, arrest without warrant requires reasonable cause to suspect an arrestable offence.

The investigation, he said, should establish the circumstances of the school’s closure, any unauthorised fee increases, corruption, bribery or improper influence, and interference with earlier administrative action. He directed that the governance concerns around the Board be simultaneously referred to the Ministry of Education and Sports and the Foundation Body for urgent review, while insisting any administrative action must observe the constitutional right to just and fair treatment under Article 42.

Describing the matter as urgent, Mulongo said the education and examination preparation of Senior Four and Senior Six candidates must not be jeopardised by administrative disputes or governance failures, and demanded that the whistleblower and all witnesses be protected from intimidation, retaliation and unlawful disclosure. He said he expects immediate action and a written status report on steps taken.

The letter was copied to the Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Balamu Barigahare, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Archbishop of Tororo Archdiocese, the Namisindwa District Chairperson, the District Police Commander, and the D/CID Namisindwa District.