KIBUKU — Opposition leader Bobi Wine pledged Tuesday to provide free daily porridge and an egg to every primary school pupil in Uganda if elected president, a policy aimed at tackling high dropout rates and poor nutrition.
Robert Kyagulanyi, the singer-turned-politician known as Bobi Wine, made the promise at campaign rallies in Kibuku District. He said the school feeding program is essential to address a deteriorating education sector.
“Children will have to take a cup of porridge and an egg as part of improving performance in schools,” said Kyagulanyi, the National Unity Platform presidential candidate. He also vowed to increase teacher salaries.
The pledge comes as teachers in government-aided schools have been on strike since mid-September, protesting unequal pay. Studies have cited a lack of school feeding programs and teacher absenteeism as major factors in the nation’s high dropout rate.
The proposal was made in the Bukedi Sub-region, where the poverty rate of 37% is higher than the national average of 35%. Bukedi is the country’s second-poorest sub-region.
Kyagulanyi’s campaign platform also includes rehabilitating dilapidated schools and health centers. He pledged to fix impassable roads and combat the corruption he blames for the poor infrastructure.
“Shs10 trillion is siphoned through corruption. It’s possible to work on the roads and improve accessibility, especially in rural areas,” he said.
He further urged police to support a government that would prioritize their welfare and promised to create jobs for unemployed youth.
