MODVA, UPDF Extend Support To Kireka Special Needs School In Public Service Day Drive

The Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (MODVA), together with the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), has donated an assortment of supplies to Kireka Home for Children with Special Educational Needs in Kira Municipality as part of activities to commemorate the 2026 African Public Service Day.

The donation formed part of this year’s African Public Service Day celebrations, held under the theme: “Enhancing Public Sector Institutions and Empowering Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships to Achieve Universal Water Availability and Safe Sanitation by 2063.”

Representing the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, the Principal Human Resource Officer, Mr Steven Sajja, said the ministry deliberately chose the school after assessing its most pressing needs.

He said that MODVA and the UPDF mobilised essential items to support the institution as part of the African Public Service Day commemorations, reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to giving back to communities.

Receiving the donation, the school’s Headteacher, Mrs Rebecca Nankwanga, said the school has an enrolment of 85 children, each with unique special needs, including autism, Down syndrome and physical impairments.

“Thank you for loving our vulnerable children. For some, this is their permanent home. We thank God for people like you and for the defence team for choosing Kireka Home,” she said.

Speaking on behalf of the Kira Municipal Council Local Government, School Management Committee member Hon. Mukalazi Twaha commended MODVA and the UPDF for dedicating time and resources to support the school.

Hon. Mukalazi also appealed to MODVA to engage the UPDF leadership to facilitate access for the school’s learners to the UPDF General Referral Hospital, noting that its specialised medical services would greatly improve healthcare for children with disabilities.

He added that the school equips the children with practical vocational and handicraft skills to enable them to become productive members of society.

The Education Officer for Special Needs in Kira Municipality, Mrs Harriet Nakirya, observed that while some learners had been abandoned by their parents, others required specialised care, balanced nutrition and constant attention, adding that the donation had addressed some of the school’s immediate needs.

“We never imagined that MODVA would think about us. You have inspired us to reach out to other ministries for additional support. Whoever directed you to Kireka Home, may God bless you,” she said.

Items donated to the school included mattresses, bedsheets, blankets, cleaning materials, disinfectants, detergents and assorted food items.

Mr Steven Sajja was accompanied by the Senior Human Resource Officer, Ms. Lorna Allen Asima; Mr. Tumwijukye Moses, UPDF personnel and members of the MODVA.