Koboko’s Top 2025 PLE Pupil Lacks Fees to join Secondary School

KOBOKO – One of Koboko district’s top performers in the 2025 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) is unable to join secondary school due to a lack of school fees.

Victor Ezamile, who achieved an impressive aggregate score of 8 at Nyambiri Primary School in rural Kuluba Sub- County, fears his long-held dream of becoming a Catholic Priest is slipping away.

For years, Ezamile has depended on his mother, Clara Asanjeru, for support, as his father is bedridden due to illness.

“I wanted to become a Priest, but I’m not sure if I will be able to continue with school because there is no school fees. My father is sick and bedridden, and my mother is the one supporting us, but as you can see, she is also weak,” Ezamile said shortly after receiving a mattress from Emmanuel Banya Natal, the Koboko County Member of Parliament (MP)-elect.

Banya donated mattresses to 12 pupils who achieved first-grade passes in Koboko County, including four from his own Premier Nursery and Primary School.

The mattresses were presented to the pupils at Anyakalio Primary School on Thursday, February 19, 2026, as part of the pledges Banya made during his National Resistance Movement (NRM) primary election campaign.

After winning the primaries unopposed on the NRM ticket, Banya began fulfilling his promises even before being sworn in.

During the event, Ezamile expressed gratitude to Banya, noting that the mattress has renewed his hope of returning to school.

“I’m really very happy with Hon. Banya for giving me this mattress. It has reduced the burden on my mother, who would have had to buy one for me. That’s why I’m so grateful to him,” Ezamile said.

Asanjeru, a peasant farmer who relies on subsistence agriculture, uses her limited earnings to support the family and pay school fees for Ezamile’s elder brother, who is in Senior 4 at Kochi Secondary School in Koboko.

“Now I don’t know if my son will join secondary school. The little I earn from the garden isn’t enough to cover fees for both him and his brother. He performed very well, but I have no money to take him to secondary school so that he can achieve his dream of becoming a priest. Maybe God has started opening a way for him with the mattress he has received from Hon. Banya today,” Asanjeru said.

Other beneficiaries could not hide their excitement and urged fellow pupils to work hard in order to receive similar rewards next year.

Harriet Ariye, 13, who scored an aggregate of 12 at Premier Nursery and Primary School, said: “I’m grateful to receive a mattress from Hon. Banya. It makes me feel like I’m starting a new chapter in my life. It feels great to get something from an MP-elect and to be recognized for achieving first grade in Koboko.”

She added: “My encouragement to other learners is to work harder and get good marks so that they can also receive mattresses next year. After this, I plan to join St. Mary’s College Lugazi. Once I finish studying, I want to become a lawyer so that I can defend my people in court if anything happens.”

Isaac Edema, a father to Anuarite Muke who also received a mattress, thanked Banya and expressed confidence in his character.

“Looking at what he does and his personality, I’m sure he would do this even without holding political office. Obviously, a mattress is one of the requirements when a child joins S.1, so this has now been taken care of. The money I was going to spend on a mattress can now go toward other needs,” Edema said.

Dominic Bunia, the head teacher of Ifoko Primary School (which produced two first-grade pupils), commended Banya for the donation but appealed to him to advocate for better teacher salaries in Parliament, noting that low pay is a major demotivator for educators in the district.

In his remarks, Banya congratulated the first-grade pupils and thanked their parents and teachers for their guidance.

“I can assure you that educational success starts at home. If the home environment is not conducive, no one can succeed. I want to thank the parents, head teachers, teachers, and school management committee chairpersons here today.

There are many promises I made during the campaigns, especially related to education, and today I’m here to reiterate and emphasize that I intend to fulfill them all,” Banya said.

He reminded the audience of his campaign pledge to provide refresher training for teachers amid curriculum changes.

“At the most appropriate time, when resources are available, we shall organize refresher trainings in this constituency, especially for upper primary teachers. We also promised to establish a printery centre. There is a youth centre at Midia, and if space is available, I will buy printers and photocopiers to set it up there,” Banya promised.

Starting next year, he announced that he will cover half the Senior One school fees for any pupil from a government-aided school in the constituency who gets first grade, in addition to the mattress donation.