Chua West Member of Parliament Simon Peter Oryema Adum has raised concern over the lack of electricity and water at two seed secondary schools in Kitgum District, warning that the gaps are undermining the effective use of school facilities.
Raising a Matter of National Importance on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, October 22, 2026, Oryema cited Layamo Seed Secondary School and Amida Seed Secondary School, saying both institutions lacked electricity despite having computer laboratories.
He also reported that Amida Seed Secondary School had no water supply, raising further concerns about the provision of essential services in the government-supported institutions.
The legislator questioned how schools could effectively utilise their computer laboratories without electricity and provide a suitable learning environment without reliable access to water.
In response, State Minister for Education and Sports Peter Ogwang said electricity supply fell under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, while water provision was the responsibility of the Ministry of Water and Environment.
Ogwang, however, said the government would consider incorporating water points into school construction projects going forward.
“Moving forward, specifically on the issue of water, we shall ensure our projects are embedded with water points in schools,” Ogwang said.
On electricity, the minister maintained that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development was responsible for power supply.
However, Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa challenged the Ministry of Education and Sports to take a more active role in coordinating with other government ministries and agencies to ensure schools receive the essential services they need.
Tayebwa argued that the Ministry of Education could not simply refer the matter to other ministries without ensuring that the necessary services were provided to schools.
He directed the ministry to take up the concerns and coordinate with the relevant authorities to ensure that schools have access to both water and electricity.
The Speaker's intervention placed responsibility on the Ministry of Education and Sports to follow up on the matter, despite the separate mandates of the ministries responsible for water and energy.
The concerns raised by Oryema highlight the need to align investments in school infrastructure with essential services that enable learners and teachers to benefit from modern educational facilities.
Without electricity, computer laboratories may remain underutilised, while inadequate access to water can affect sanitation, hygiene and the general learning environment.
The Ministry of Education and Sports is now expected to coordinate with the relevant agencies to address the gaps at Layamo and Amida seed secondary schools and ensure that similar challenges are addressed in other government schools.
