Govt boosts Mbarara city schools with science kits

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The Government, through the education ministry, has distributed science kits to selected government-aided primary schools in Mbarara city. The kits will help boost practical, learning-centred science education.

The science kits were handed over to the 20 schools on February 3, 2026, at a function officiated by Deputy Resident City Commissioner Jackline Kakunda at Mbarara Junior School.

Each kit contained curriculum-aligned, interactive apparatus such as a microscope, magnet systems and human body models.

The 20 primary schools that received the kits, included Mbarara Junior, Katojo Biharwe Primary School, St Aloysious, Mbarara Municipal, Rwebihuro, Biharwe Mixed, Uganda Martyrs, Kyamugorani, St Helen's, Katukuru and Booma.

Others are St Mary's School, Katete, Rwobuyenje, Biharwe Muslim, Kakukuru, Nshungezi, Nyabugando, Tukore, St Boniface Bwenkoma and Nyakahanga.

Mbarara city senior education officer Gerald Nkurikiyimana said they were given section criteria, which was getting the first 15 best-performing schools and the worst-performing five schools. 

“The criteria was good because only supporting the best would be undermining the other poor performing schools, and we now have hope that these poor performing schools are going to utilise the science kits and children perform well in science subjects,” NKurikiyimana said.

He said Mbarara city is organising a training on how the kits are going to be used so that the science subjects are better performed. 

Mbarara Junior School headteacher Nathan Mugume and Uganda Martyrs Primary School headteacher Tumuhirwe Freddrick hailed the Government for the kits, saying they will help schools fill gaps in performance in science subjects. 

On the same day, the city released PLE results and held a planning meeting for 2026.

Presenting the results to the meeting, which was also attended by headteachers, senior inspector of schools Annet Bato said the city emerged third, followed by Bushenyi and Ntungamo Municipalities in the PLE national ranking. 

A total of 6,252 candidates were registered in Mbarara City. Unfortunately, there were 64 absentees, 31 females and 33 males. The Government-aided schools that presented candidates to sit PLE were 62, while the private ones were 61, making a total of 123 examination centres.

Kankunda congratulated all stakeholders for the excellent performance and called for unity among all headteachers to maintain the performance. She also warned against absenteeism.

City mayor Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi vowed to deal with parents who don’t want to educate their children. He also challenged schools that have not performed well to wake up.

City clerk Justine Barekye urged all headteachers to critically analyse PLE results and identify gaps for improvement.  She also emphasised discipline as a key pillar for success in schools and asked all schools to come up with an operational and maintenance policy.