Uganda’s senior police officer who was killed aboard a Boeing Ethiopia Air Flight 302 from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia will have a technical school constructed to her name.
“This is to remember the robust work that was done by Christine Alalo,” said Moses Egayu, the Executive Director of Church of Uganda Teso Diocese Planning and Development Organisation (COU – TEDDO.
The Boeing Community Investment Fund (BCIF) an organization that manufactured the Ethiopian Air Flight 302 – aircraft that Alalo was aboard has released Shs1Bn for the construction of a technical school in Bululu sub-county in Kalaki District.
Egayu revealed this information on Thursday while having a consultative meeting with the technical staff of Kalaki District Local Government.
According to Egayu, the Boeing Company has the Boeing Community Investment Fund (BCIF) that provides philanthropic support to the local communities affected by the Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Air Flight 302 accidents.
The late Alalo was killed in the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed killing 157 people on March 10, 2019, in Bishoftu in Ethiopia. The flight was en route to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.
“So, in this case, since Alalo was killed in that aircraft accident. Church of Uganda through its development arm TEDDO contacted them to see how BCIF can be of good help in assisting the students and children whom Alalo was supporting while still alive.”
It’s against this background, “TEDDO was asked to apply for a development grant of Shs1Bn for the construction of Bululu Technical School that will help to skill the girl child.”
“TEDDO intends to sponsor 300 students in this technical school once it commences its work and we are targeting 200 girls and 100 boys,” Egayu revealed.
He says, “TEDDO is doing this in full consultation with the late Alalo’s family in Bululu sub-county.” And we are involving church since Church of Uganda in Bululu has offered us the land of about 10 acres for this project.”
The Principal Assistant Chief Administrative Officer, William Emunyu who represented the CAO, Pauline Epodoi Opio welcomed the project of constructing a technical institute in Bululu saying, “It will help to accommodate many students who fail to go to other institutions of higher learning.” “
This has come at a right time when the district was contemplating having a technical school in the district,” he added. Kalaki district is one of the districts in Teso sub-region that was ravaged by the actions of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebellion from 2003-2005 and it affected the education in the region.
Kalaki has many vulnerable students following the LRA invasion into Teso sub-region in 2003 and by this, it will be a good way of remembering the charity works that the late Alalo was doing in the district by helping the girl child.
Egayu says, “The bursary scheme will only cater for girls in Bululu who will enroll for the technical programmes in various disciplines. Then maybe later, when funds allow that is when the bursary scheme shall be rolled to other sub-counties in the district.”
“The Shs1Bn is meant for the construction of the facility and then purchase start-up kits for the enrolled students. But we shall continue engaging with other development partners to ensure that this programme will not come to a halt,” he added.
Egayu appealed to the district authorities to support the project and ensure that government comes in to support it.
The vice chairperson Local Council V, Pascal Engwau who also doubles as the Leader of Government Businesses in the district, assured COU-TEDDO of full support saying, “As a district, we are fully in support of this project since it’s an opportunity that is going to help not only the people of Kalaki but the region as a whole.”
He says Bululu Technical School is going to attract many students in Teso and other neighbouring regions since it is going to offer a state-of-art-facility and kits for start-up as a package that will enhance the studies of students.
Who is the late Alalo?
Christine Alalo was born on 21 March 1970 to Jane Apubo and Stanley Etori in Bululu sub-county in Kalaki District. She was a Ugandan peacekeeper and police commissioner who got the European Union Human Rights Defenders Award in 2014.
She was aboard the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 that crash and killed 157 people on March 10, 2019, in Bishoftu in Ethiopia. The flight was en route to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.
Alalo joined Uganda Police Force in 2001 as a cadet officer after graduating from Makerere University where she served as head of the Department of Child and Family Protection Unit in UPF.
She also served with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan as a police advisor in Juba Sector from 2007-2009 before she was appointed Deputy Police Commissioner in 2015 succeeding Benson Oyo-Nyeko who retired.
Alalo was widowed in 2004 as her husband, Alex Kamujuni Ahimbisibwe died. The duo survived with two sons; Emmanuel Ayindi and Alvin Asimwe. End
