Hundreds of children across Itek Sub-county in Lira District are flocking to Olilo Primary School following a donation of free school uniforms by the area Member of Parliament, Mr Sam Engola.
Mr Engola – who represents Erute South and serves as Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees – made an impromptu visit to the government-aided school last Friday evening to hand over 456 uniforms, one for each pupil enrolled at the time. The donation was funded out of his personal pocket after school administrators informed him that many parents could not afford uniforms alongside other hidden education costs.
Mr Moses Ekwar, the head teacher, said enrolment began rising as news of the gesture spread across the sub-county. By Monday, September 21, the school had gained at least 144 additional pupils, pushing its total population past 600.
“We initially had 456 pupils, but today we have more than 600 learners, and children are coming from all walks of life,” Mr Ekwar said in a telephone interview. “Children are mainly attracted to school by the free uniforms. Before the donation, most of our pupils did not have uniforms because their parents could hardly afford them.”
A standard uniform with a school badge costs approximately Shs10,000 in the region. Mr Ekwar noted that parents with multiple children often struggle to purchase uniforms for all of them at once, buying them piecemeal when funds allow.
The initial batch of 456 uniforms went only to pupils who were enrolled prior to the handover. While new arrivals have yet to receive theirs, the administration has taken their measurements and plans to appeal to the minister for additional support.
Strained Infrastructure
The sudden surge in learners has put a strain on existing facilities. Olilo Primary School has 200 desks, meaning each desk now accommodates at least six pupils.
Mr Ekwar said the administration would request the sub-county leadership to supply more desks if numbers continue to grow. “We cannot allow our pupils to sit on the floor,” he noted.
With 14 teachers currently on staff, the head teacher maintained that the teacher-to-pupil ratio remains manageable at roughly 1:55. However, he highlighted textbooks and the lack of a midday meal program as the institution’s most pressing deficits.
Olilo is a fully coded government school that receives Universal Primary Education (UPE) capitation grants of Shs20,000 per child annually. The grant covers basic scholastic materials, administration, co-curricular activities, and contingency costs, but does not extend to major infrastructure repairs.
Alongside the uniforms, Mr Engola financed the Shs54.8 million renovation of the school’s most dilapidated classroom block, delivering on a pledge he made during a thanksgiving service at the school on July 18. His political assistant, Mr Walter Ongenyo, confirmed that similar rehabilitation works are currently underway at Gomi, Opem, and Abutoadi primary schools.
On Monday, Mr Engola also distributed five exercise books, a pen, and a pencil to every learner at the school.
Local leaders, including the School Management Committee Chairperson, Mr Lawrence Awany, and the Curate of Tetyang Parish, Rev Deacon Isaac Ogwal, praised the minister for fulfilling his pledges. Meanwhile, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Chairperson, Mr Dick Okello, said the association plans to convene an Annual General Meeting in December to discuss parent contributions toward learning materials.
Speaking on behalf of the learners, head girl Beatrice Adongo and head boy Job Yafesi Ongom expressed gratitude for the support, but called for further interventions, including a clean water source, improved sanitation facilities, and sanitary pads for older girls. In response, Mr Engola said he would engage the Office of the Prime Minister to address the infrastructure and sanitation needs.
Early Campaigning?
The minister’s donations have sparked debate among local political stakeholders, with critics questioning whether the gestures constitute early campaigning ahead of the next election cycle.
Mr Engola dismissed the claims, stating that his philanthropic work predated his tenure as an MP.
“It’s not premature politics because the pupils we’re targeting are non-voters,” Mr Engola said. “Secondly, we are trying to respond to the issues of early dropouts due to lack of scholastic materials and uniforms.”
However, some community members and political rivals argue that the approach lacks long-term sustainability.
Mr Sam Odongo, a parent, argued that an MP’s primary role should focus on broader community development: “He should lobby for projects that can improve the livelihood of the community so that they are able to educate their own children.”
Former parliamentary aspirant Mr Peter Ogwang, who was defeated by Mr Engola in the January 2026 polls, also criticized the initiative.
“What Engola is doing is not sustainable,” Mr Ogwang told this publication by phone on Tuesday. “Instead of wasting his time and the time of those poor children, he should empower the parents and the community economically so that they will be able to buy school requirements and pay fees for their children. What if tomorrow those school uniforms he has bought get torn up? Will he buy new ones?”
Efforts to reach the area Inspector of Schools, Mr Patrick Olwit, were unsuccessful, as his known telephone contacts went unanswered by press time.