Uringi Senior Secondary School in Nebbi District is appealing to government and former students to fund renovations as its aging classrooms, dormitories and library struggle to serve 543 learners.
Uringi Senior Secondary School, a historic institution perched on Anguruma Hill in Goli Sub-county, Nebbi District, is appealing to government and former students to help renovate its aging buildings as it marks 58 years of educating generations of Ugandans.
The school celebrated its anniversary on Saturday under the theme “Investing in Academic Excellence”, using the occasion to rally former students and other well-wishers to support its rehabilitation.
The school, which has produced doctors, teachers and district leaders, is struggling with deteriorating classroom blocks, dormitories and library facilities that were constructed decades ago.
Founded on October 6, 1968, by former junior health minister Silvanus W. Uringi under the Nebbi Anglican Diocese, the institution began as a community school before becoming government-aided in 1981, when government posted its first students.
It now has 543 students and 32 teachers, 22 of whom are on the government payroll, while parents pay the salaries of the remaining 10 through the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA).
The school receives Shs24.5 million in capitation grants per term, but the administration says the money is insufficient to meet the needs of a large boarding school, including the rehabilitation of its aging infrastructure.
The main classroom blocks, dormitories and library were built decades ago with support from the school’s foundation body, led by Archbishop Emeritus of the Church of Uganda, Rev Henry Luke Orombi, and friends from the United Kingdom.
The buildings have since deteriorated, leaving the school struggling to provide adequate facilities for learners.
“We have now what is actually a book store, not a standard library. Part of it was actually meant for a kitchen, that's why we want to fundraise for it,” headteacher Kennedy Paul Picho said.
Picho said the school needed a coordinated effort to restore its facilities, adding that the work could be undertaken in phases because of limited resources.
“This school now needs renovation. I believe if we work together, we can do this in a phased manner amidst the limited resources we have,” he said.
Despite the infrastructure challenges, Picho said the school was investing in its teachers’ capacity, an effort he said was beginning to yield results.
He cited the performance of three students who recently secured three of the six slots allocated to Nebbi District under the district quota system, although the specific selection exercise was not identified.
For former students, the anniversary was an opportunity to reconnect with the institution that shaped their lives and consider how they could contribute to its future.
Eileen Apio, a representative of the Uringi Old Students Association, said the anniversary theme reflected the association’s commitment to supporting the school.
“When we left this gate, we thought we were leaving Uringi but we've realised Uringi never left us. We stand with a heart full of praise as we celebrate this day,” Apio said.
She said former students had previously supported the renovation of the kitchen and girls’ toilet facilities and remained committed to helping improve the school.
Apio urged current students to remain disciplined and pursue ambitious goals, saying the school’s legacy should inspire them to achieve more.
Head girl Joan Ayiorwoth said the return of former students had demonstrated the importance of preserving the institution’s legacy.
“The old boys and girls who spoke to us showed the legacy they left behind which leaders should emulate,” Ayiorwoth said.
The school’s appeal reflects challenges facing some of West Nile’s older educational institutions, where aging infrastructure and staffing constraints threaten the quality of learning even as schools adapt to changes in the education system.
Geoffrey Okello Anecho, the Nebbi District LC V vice chairperson, commended the school administration and former students for reviving Uringi Day, an annual event held on October 6 that had not been celebrated since 2018.
“I am grateful to the school administration and its old students for recognising the importance of such a day. It's always good practice to look back where you were groomed from and support them,” Okello said.
He urged parents and school administrators to work together to improve the institution, noting that government funding alone could not meet all the needs of a large school.
Uringi SSS plans to make the anniversary an annual homecoming event to strengthen ties with former students and mobilise support for the phased renovation of its facilities.
As the school enters its 59th year, its appeal is for the community that helped build it, and the generations it has educated, to help secure its future.