In Mukono District, differing accounts have emerged over the founding and governance of Kamda Community Secondary School, a government-aided institution whose origins are being interpreted differently by key stakeholders.
At the centre of the discussion is Hajj Ahmed Kakande, who maintains that he played a significant role in the establishment of what was originally known as Mpatta Secondary School in the early 1990s.
In petitions and statutory declarations submitted to authorities, Kakande states that he mobilised land, initial resources, and community support to start the school in Ntenjeru Sub-county, at a time when access to secondary education in the area was limited.
He further states that the school initially operated from temporary and rented premises before expanding over time.
According to his account, it was later renamed Kamda Community Secondary School in the late 1990s following a community resolution, which he says reflected broader community ownership while maintaining continuity of the original establishment.
Kakande also maintains that he participated in the school’s development through various roles, including involvement in the Parents and Teachers Association and engagement in governance activities during the school’s early years.
He argues that his contribution is known within sections of the community, including among some local leaders and individuals involved in the school’s formation.
However, Mukono District Education Officer Rashid Kikomeko presents a different interpretation of the school’s founding and governance structure.
He states that Kamda Community Secondary School was established as a community institution under local government oversight, which in Uganda’s education framework is regarded as the foundation body for government-aided schools.
According to Kikomeko, the school was developed through the involvement of multiple community stakeholders, and no single individual can be considered the sole founder. He notes that those who contributed to its establishment, including Kakande, formed part of a wider group of community actors.
The DEO further explains that governance structures, including the Board of Governors, are designed to ensure representation from the foundation body. He notes that current board members are drawn from different areas of Mpatta, reflecting the school’s broad-based community ownership.
On the name change from Mpatta Secondary School to Kamda Community Secondary School, Kikomeko states that this was a community-led decision intended to reflect collective ownership rather than a change in founding authority.
He also notes that leadership roles within school governance evolve over time, with early contributors handing over responsibilities as institutions develop. He references Kakande’s previous involvement in the Parents and Teachers Association, which he says ended after Kakande stepped down from the position.
On administrative matters, the DEO raises concerns about past registration processes, including claims that the school was once registered with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau without full approval of the Board of Governors.
Despite the differing interpretations, Kamda Community Secondary School continues to operate as a government-aided institution under Mukono District Education Authority oversight.
The contrasting accounts bring out broader challenges in documenting the history of community-founded schools that later integrate into the public education system, particularly where early records are incomplete and where multiple stakeholders contributed to their development.
For now, both sides maintain their positions—Kakande asserting an unrecognised significant role in the school’s early establishment, and the district education office emphasising collective community ownership and structured governance under local government authority.
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