Minister accused of double standards over closure of Ggaba school

State Minister for Higher Education Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo is facing accusations of double standards after he ordered the closure of a daycare centre and its affiliated schools in Ggaba following the killing of four children.

Dr Muyingo visited the Early Childhood Development Programme in Ggaba on April 3, 2026, shortly after the deadly incident that left four young children dead. 

During the visit, he ordered the immediate closure of Maranatha Day Care Centre and its affiliated schools as investigations continue.

The minister said the institution is registered under Kampala Capital City Authority and has been operating within the required regulatory framework, including routine inspections. 

He, however, said the government had started a thorough review in the wake of the tragedy.

As part of the immediate measures, the minister directed parents to urgently pick up their children from the affected institutions, including the day care, primary and secondary sections under the same management. The schools will remain closed until further notice.

The decision has since drawn criticism from some members of the public, who accused the minister of applying the law selectively.

Pastor Alysius Bujingo of House of Prayer Ministries questioned the fairness of the directive. He said parents had paid school fees and expected their children to study there this year, but the schools had now been shut.

“The minister decided that the school where they slaughtered those kids, along with its sister secondary school, be closed down. Parents paid school fees and expected their children to be at those schools this year."

Bujingo went on to accuse Minister Muyingo of double standards, pointing out that when children died at his own Seeta High School, the school was not shut down.

“We have already seen reactions pointing out that even at his own school there are children who died there in the past. How come his school is not closed?” he said.

“This is not a fair judgement! What if that killer was sent to the school by someone with the intent to antagonise that project; their plans would have truly flourished.”

At least two learners died mysteriously at Seeta High School last year.

In one incident on February 21, 2025, Elishammah Ssesazi, a 16-year-old Senior Three student, was found dead in a dormitory at Seeta High School’s main campus in Mukono. 

Police said preliminary findings pointed to a suspected suicide by hanging and said the body was discovered at around 3:00am. 

The case later drew national attention, with Parliament demanding investigations into deaths of learners in schools. 

On March 10, 2025, Uganda Radio Network reported that investigations into Ssesazi’s death had stalled because police had not secured enough witness statements from key people, including students, teachers and school administrators. 

A second learner death was reported a few months later. On August 3, 2025, Kevin Nsamba, a 21-year-old Senior Six student at Seeta High School’s Mbalala campus, reportedly drowned in the school swimming pool at about 5:30pm. 

Police said he had allegedly run to the pool after a football match and jumped into the deep end while trainees were in the water under supervision. The circumstances of the drowning were reported to still be under investigation.