Mr. Jimmy Nambiro, Head of the Education Desk and Private Secretary to President Museveni on Education and Skilling, said the Government introduced UPE in 1997 and later expanded the free education programme through USE in 2007 to increase access to education for children from poor and vulnerable households.
Nambiro made the remarks on Wednesday 19th August, 2026 at his office on Lumumba Avenue in Kampala.
He described universal free education as one of the flagship programmes of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Government and a key intervention aimed at ensuring that children from both rural and urban communities can access education.
“The Universal Free Education is a flagship programme for the NRM Government that directly addresses the needs of education for the vulnerable poor Ugandans in both rural and urban areas,” Nambiro said.
He said the government has continued to allocate resources to the education sector through the Ministry of Education and Sports to meet the infrastructure, human resource, teaching materials, facilitation, training and capacity-building needs of UPE and USE schools.
Mr. Nambiro noted that Uganda’s education system is supported by legal frameworks, including the Government White Paper and the Education Act, 2008, which provide the basis for education as a fundamental right.
Millions have benefited:
According to Mr. Nambiro, the introduction of universal free education has significantly expanded access to schooling across the country.
He said the number of school-going children has increased from about 2.5 million before the introduction of universal free education to approximately 10 million currently accessing education.
He added that the programmes have contributed to improvements in literacy levels, which he put at approximately 85 percent.
The government, he said, currently supports more than 12,551 primary schools and 1,615 secondary schools across the country.
Mr. Nambiro said the figures demonstrate the government’s commitment to expanding access to education and ensuring that children from disadvantaged communities are not excluded because of poverty.
Illegal charges undermine free education:
However, Mr. Nambiro expressed concern over what he described as illegal charges imposed by some school administrators, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and school boards.
He said such practices have gradually undermined the concept of universal free education, forcing poor parents to meet costs that are supposed to be covered by the government.
Among the alleged irregularities, he cited illegal school fees and development charges, demands for examination registration fees, ghost learners on school enrolment lists, ghost teachers and the alleged misuse or lack of accountability for capitation grants provided to schools.
Mr. Nambiro particularly criticised schools that charge parents for Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) registration, saying the government pays examination registration fees for candidates at Primary Seven, O-Level and A-Level.
“These are serious barriers to the access of free Universal Education meant to benefit the poor communities and they are against the law of Education Act of 2008 and the Presidential directives issued from time to time not to send any child under Universal Programme out of school,” he said.
He warned that the illegal practices of a few individuals risk damaging public confidence in the government and creating the impression that presidential commitments on free education are not being honoured.
State House intensifies monitoring:
Mr. Nambiro said the State House Education Desk has stepped up efforts to monitor implementation of UPE and USE and ensure that children are not pushed out of school because of illegal charges.
He called on District Education Officers, school inspectors, Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), District Internal Security Officers (DISOs), Gombolola Internal Security Officers (GISOs), religious and cultural leaders, as well as political leaders from Local Council I level to Parliament, to help protect the programme.
He said the various stakeholders have a responsibility to identify and report school administrators who violate government directives and education laws.
Mr. Nambiro warned that school dropouts resulting from illegal charges and other barriers to education could contribute to wider social problems, including teenage pregnancies and drug abuse among young people.
He said preventing children from accessing education should therefore be treated as a serious societal concern requiring collective action.
Mr. Nambiro revealed that the State House Education Desk is working with different Government ministries and agencies, including the Anti-Corruption Unit under the Office of the President, to investigate reported irregularities in schools.
He said communities are also increasingly reporting cases directly through the State House Education telephone line, 071 6095366, which he said enables the desk to respond to complaints and initiate follow-up action.
According to Mr. Nambiro, several head teachers, school inspectors and District Education Officers are currently facing investigations over alleged violations, with those found culpable expected to face disciplinary or legal action.
“The State House Education Desk is to continue vigorously with field monitoring exercises in all schools across the whole country to ensure compliance,” he said.
Mr. Nambiro further emphasised that the universal free education programme was introduced primarily to support children from poor and vulnerable families.
He warned that anyone found charging learners under the government’s free education programmes would face the law.
“His Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda did not introduce Universal Free Education for the rich. Therefore, anyone found charging for free Universal Education at all levels will face the law,” he said.
Mr. Nambiro urged Ugandans to work with the State House Education Desk by reporting cases of illegal charges and other practices that prevent children from benefiting fully from UPE and USE.
He said continued cooperation between communities, education officials, security agencies and political and cultural leaders would be critical in protecting access to education and preserving the objectives of the government’s universal education programme.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Uganda.
