Government has handed over the defunct multi-million shillings School for War Affected Children (SOWAC) in Laroo division in Gulu Municipality to the Gulu School of Clinical Officers.
Known as Laroo Boarding Primary School, the 2.5 billion shilling facility was constructed with support from the Belgian government.
The school was meant to support formerly abducted children in an accelerated education programme, but due to corruption and mismanagement, the school was closed in 2014.
The school had programmes that were meant to rehabilitate children in psychosocial support, vocational skills and accelerated learning programme
The permanent Secretary Minister of Education, Dr Rose Nasali, on Monday handed over the former school for war affected children to officials of Gulu School of Clinical Officers.
During the handover ceremony, Dr Nassali said that the since the school was non- functional, it was a good idea to give it to the medical school which currently occupies part of Gulu Regional Referral Hospital.
There are plans to upgrade the hospital from regional to national referral with a capacity of 1,500 beds instead of the current 300.
Dr Nasali said the handover to the Gulu School of Clinical Officers will go a long way in enabling the facility to expand into a paramedical school in the near future.
According to the Permanent Secretary, with the available piece of land, government will be able to transform it into a centre of excellence for the East African region if funds allow.
The Principle of the School, Jennifer Grace Aninge said they will introduce new courses since they now have enough space for expansion unlike at the old site.
Aninge noted that lack of space had also forced them to rent outside the campus, something she said can be risky especially for female students.
Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, the Gulu District LCV Chairperson, said the best way to put the facilities of the former Laroo Boarding Primary School into good use was to give it to the clinical school.
The Gulu Chairman urged the medical school administration to put it into good use unlike the former managers of the then Laroo Boarding Primary School. Government lost over 500 million shillings advanced to the school. The money was meant to procure school uniforms, food items, beddings and fuel for a double pickup truck.
Recently, companies that had been contracted to supply goods nearly auctioned the school and its property including 68KVA generator and a double pick truck over the 500 million debt after the court granted them the permission. However the Ministry of Education came to its rescue by settling the unpaid debts.
