The school administrators also said some parents had stopped honouring agreements reached during parents’ meetings regarding the payment of boarding fees.
Headteachers of three secondary schools in Buvuma District have resolved to suspend their boarding sections, citing parents’ failure to pay agreed functional fees.
The affected schools are Nairambi Seed School, Buvuma College and Bweema Seed School. The headteachers communicated the decision to the Buvuma Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) in a joint letter dated September 23, 2026.
According to the letter, the schools intend to send boarding students back home effective October 1, 2026, saying they can no longer sustain the boarding sections amid mounting challenges in collecting fees.
The schools said boarding students come from various islands, including Lwajje, Lyabaana and Lubya, as well as other islands in Buvuma. Some students travel distances of up to 70 kilometres to attend the schools, while others come from sub-counties located between 20 and 25 kilometres away.
The headteachers said parents had previously been paying between sh250,000 and sh300,000 in boarding fees.
However, they said a growing number of parents and students have resisted further payment, with some parents reportedly arguing that the Minister of Local Government, Balaam Barugahara had directed that schools should not collect the fees.
The school administrators also said some parents had stopped honouring agreements reached during parents’ meetings regarding the payment of boarding fees.
The situation, according to the headteachers, has made it difficult for the schools to maintain students in the boarding sections.
They said they could no longer send students home to remind their parents to bring boarding fees, adding that some students who remain at school without the required payments may be forced to find alternative accommodation.
The headteachers further noted that some Senior Four candidates are expected to begin examinations in October, creating additional pressure on the schools to find a sustainable way of accommodating the affected learners.
They have consequently asked the district or the Ministry of Local Government to intervene and consider meeting the boarding costs for students for the remainder of the academic year.
The headteachers warned that if no intervention is made, the affected students would not be allowed to reside at school from October 1, 2026, ending the boarding arrangement that had been in place.
The letter was signed by Nakkande Robinah, Acting Headteacher of Buvuma College; Namusisi Faridah, Headteacher of Nairambi Seed School; and Musobozi Mark, Headteacher of Bweema Seed School.
