Oyam, Uganda – In Oyam District, a 17-year-old girl’s dream of becoming a police officer now hangs in the balance after a high-profile political promise turned out to be empty.
Vicky Atim, a Senior Four student at Ngai Secondary School, is stranded and unable to continue her education due to unpaid school fees.
Her plight traces back to July 23, 2023, when Rosemary Nansubuga Seninde, a senior member of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), publicly pledged to sponsor Atim’s education from Senior Two to Senior Six.
The promise was made during a campaign rally at Omac Primary School as NRM mobilized support for Junior Okello Samuel, son of the late Minister Col. Charles Engola, in the Oyam North by-election.
According to Atim, she had just been expelled from school and was selling maize by the roadside when she was approached by individuals from the campaign team.
Upon learning about her situation, one of them informed Seninde, who publicly declared her commitment to support the young girl’s education. The announcement drew cheers from the community, many of whom believed her future was now secured.
But nearly a year later, Atim remains stuck in the same struggle. She is frequently sent home due to unpaid fees and has taken to small-scale vending to try and raise money for school. Her vision of becoming a police officer, she says, is slowly fading.
Ngai Secondary School head teacher, Jonnani Okot, confirmed the school’s attempts to follow up on Seninde’s pledge. Despite multiple letters and direct messages, he said there had been no meaningful response from her.
However a verified WhatsApp conversation and formal correspondence were exchanged between the school and Seninde. However, the contents of her reply remain unclear.
Atim is now appealing not just to Seninde, but to any compassionate individual willing to help her stay in school and pursue her dream of joining the police force.
Her story is a painful reminder of how public trust can be eroded when political promises are made in the heat of campaigns but forgotten once the votes are counted.
By press time, multiple efforts to contact Rosemary Nansubuga Seninde for a comment had not yielded any response.
Original Story…… Radio Pacis……………
This is a wrong story. Hon Seninde Rosemary never pledged such . It was the director of finance not director of mobilisation.
I Daniel Oyar as the OB and the product of Ngai SS feel so pitty for my Clan sister as well as my OG. I also condemn the incident . May her soul rest in eternal life. Amen