education 19 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Namutumba Schools Undergo Pupil Count Amidst Enrollment Discrepancies
Sixteen primary schools in Namutumba District are being subjected to a physical head count due to significant discrepancies in reported pupil enrollment numbers. This exercise is crucial for accurate resource allocation and has delayed the release of capitation grants. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/16-namutumba-schools-face-fresh-pupil-head-count-over-enrolment-discrepancies-5637558
Namutumba District is currently undertaking a comprehensive physical head count in sixteen of its primary schools. This initiative, part of a nationwide Ministry of Education exercise, aims to reconcile the figures recorded on the Education Management Information System (EMIS) with the actual number of pupils present.
The schools involved include Bubutya PS, Bubutya Islamic School, Budunda PS, Bulange Teefe PS, Busoona PS, Buwaga PS, Buwambi PS, Kalamira PS, Kigalama PS, Kisiro PS, Nakazinga PS, Nalende PS, Namutumba Modern Islamic PS, Nawandyo PS, Nawankofu PS, and Nsongwe PS.
According to a letter signed on behalf of the Namutumba District Chief Administrative Officer, Hissa Bumali Kwajja, the decision for a re-count stems from “significant discrepancies among the enrolment figures.” This process is critical for ensuring that government funding, specifically capitation grants, is allocated based on the true number of students.
The head count, led by district officials including Communications Officer Noah Kiire, is occurring amidst allegations that some head teachers have inflated pupil numbers on the EMIS platform. Mr. Kiire stated that the physical count was completed, and verification against EMIS data is ongoing. He confirmed that the delay in releasing capitation grants for the current term is directly linked to this verification process.
School administrators have offered explanations for potential differences, citing issues such as students transferring schools without being removed from the EMIS system and pupils missing the count on the designated day. District officials also highlighted challenges with overwhelming enrollment in Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) schools, exacerbated by limited resources like inadequate classrooms and insufficient teachers. The district faces constraints in recruiting more teachers due to budget limitations, despite a growing student population seeking education in government schools.