There was drama at Nkoma Senior Secondary School after police stormed the school upon receiving a tip-off that teaching was taking place during this second term holiday period.
The operation was ordered by Jimmy Nambiro, who heads the education desk at State House, after receiving intelligence that Nkoma Secondary School was defying Ministry of Education guidelines.
When police arrived at the school, teachers jumping through windows and over the fence, along with some students, and soon deserted the premises.
The police officers, commanded by the Officer in Charge of Operations at Mbale Central Police Station, ASP John Bosco Kashumba, addressed the students and sent them home, ordering them not to return because they were learning illegally.
Speaking to the media after the operation, Nambiro expressed bitterness with the administration of Nkoma Secondary School for being defiant to all government policies, yet it is a government school.
He said Education Minister JC Muyingo, warned all schools across the country against teaching during this holiday, guiding that it is time for children to rest and help their parents. Nambiro has ordered police to look for the teachers who fled so that they can be arrested and face the law.
Efforts to get a comment on the progress of the manhunt from Rogers Taitika, the Elgon Region Police Spokesperson, were futile by press time as he did not pick our repeated calls.
Our reporter also tried to reach Abubakr Kawanguzi, the Nkoma Secondary School head teacher, for a comment, but his phones were switched off.
Recently, the Minister for Local Government, Balaam Barugahara, visited Nkoma Secondary School after reports that it was illegally charging students school fees between Shs 200,000 and Shs 500,000, yet the school is under Universal Education, meaning education there is free.
When the Minister visited the school, he was presented with a small number of students whom teachers had reportedly coached to tell him that they study for free.Each student at Nkoma secondary school has been paying 20,000/= per subject according to students.