Row erupts in Busia over renaming of Lumino Community Polytechnic

A bitter dispute has broken out between parents and the Catholic Church over the ownership and renaming of Lumino Community Polytechnic in Busia District. Tensions boiled over during a heated meeting when parents discovered that the institution was being re-registered under a new name without their direct consultation.

Parents, led by Vincent Onyango, the Busia District deputy speaker, expressed concern that the changes were part of an attempt to turn the government-supported institution into private property. According to parents, the community originally contributed 70 percent of the land while the Church provided the remaining portion. They questioned the expenditure of Shs7.7 million on the re-registration process without prior approval from the parent community.

Fears were further heightened over the withholding of a land title required by the government to fund infrastructure development. Some parents warned that they might survey their portion of the land to secure a separate title, leaving the Church to manage its own share. Beyond the ownership debate, learners and parents also raised questions regarding the quality of instruction, alleging a lack of adequate practical training.

In response, the institution’s head instructor, Janet Tarapkwe, and Lumino Catholic Parish priest, Father Paul Buyeri, defended the actions. They explained that the name change from Lumino Community Polytechnic to Lumino Skills Development Centre, alongside the fresh registration, strictly complies with the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Act, 2025. School authorities maintained that the re-registration was mandatory to secure government grants and allow students to sit for national examinations, as reported by the Daily Monitor.