ALEBTONG, UGANDA – A high-stakes meeting convened by Moroto Member of Parliament Leo Elem and the Alebtong District Headteachers' Association has exposed a deep rift between the local education leadership and state officials, with Moroto County MP, Hon. Leo Elem, vowing to take the fight to Parliament over what he described as the "harassment and humiliation" of school headteachers.
The meeting, held to address rising tensions in the district, revealed that 33 out of 76 headteachers have been summoned, with only 42 substantively appointed. The crisis has already seen four headteachers leave the district, prompting fears of a mass exodus.
Addressing the headteachers, MP Leo Elem did not mince words. While he acknowledged that corruption must be fought, he condemned the methods being used by certain officials. He specifically targeted the Minister for Local Government, Hon. Balaam Ateenyi, vowing to lead a parliamentary motion against him.
"Even me as an MP, when I am going to a school, I must go with the DEO. But because someone is appointed by the Office of the President, they want the audacity to access any school. This must stop in Alebtong," Elem declared. "I will not allow it so long as I am still the leader in Alebtong. They must respect our headteachers."
He announced that he and fellow teacher-MPs from both the opposition and the NRM are preparing a petition to "lecture" Minister Balaam in Parliament, challenging him to prioritize roads in Alebtong and explain the utilization of the one billion shillings allocated to the district.
Alebtong District Education Officer (DEO), Moses Agel, echoed the MP's sentiments, stating that the current situation is untenable. He revealed that an inspector had been arrested without any charges, calling it a direct attack on the district's education leadership.
Agel cautioned headteachers not to allow themselves to be arrested without a valid arrest warrant from their schools, emphasizing that they must be treated with dignity.
Milly Akullo, the Chairperson of the Alebtong District Headteachers' Association, painted a grim picture of the situation. "Alebtong is now very hot. This will force many headteachers to leave the district," she warned. "We have already lost four headteachers due to this kind of harassment."
Akullo condemned the practice of arresting educators from school premises, comparing it to the apprehension of criminals. "Teachers are professionals," she stated. "If there is any issue, they should be summoned and asked to record statements, not arrested from schools and thronged into vehicles like chicken thieves."
She issued a stark warning: if the district does not protect its civil servants, headteachers will leave, and even the upcoming Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) could be disrupted. "We will demonstrate for our rights if no one is behind us. We are not happy and we are not safe," she added.
Okello Benard Omara, a caretaker headteacher at Awelokuricok Primary School, voiced the fears of many of his colleagues. "The level of threats is too high that we can even leave the job," he said.
The meeting also highlighted the plight of caretaker headteachers, who have been in their positions for long periods, nearing retirement but still on the U7 salary scale—a situation described as demoralizing and detrimental to the education system.
The consensus among the leaders was clear: while accountability is necessary, the rule of law must be followed. MP Elem emphasized that unless it is a capital offense like murder, an officer like a headteacher should not be arrested from school in a manner that causes psychological trauma to learners.
As the standoff continues, the Alebtong education sector stands at a crossroads, with leaders demanding respect for due process and the protection of their headteachers from what they term as "state-sponsored harassment."
Elem Leo donated pre PLE examinations to 76 government schools in alebtong district that is for schools in moroto and ajuri
Elem said him and current Mp for Ajuri county,Fred Jalameso are working together
