Ugandan President commissions school donated by Chinese gov't

SEMBABULE, Uganda, Sept. 8 -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on

Monday commissioned a secondary school in central Uganda donated by the Chinese

government to boost education in the East African country.

Museveni told a mammoth crowd in Rugushuru sub-county, Sembabule district

that China has been supportive to Africa and Uganda in particular both

bilaterally and in international fora.

"I thank the Chinese government for donating a number of schools to Uganda.

The Chinese government has also helped us in many other things. In different

fora, we cooperate with China," he said.

Namirembe Bitamazire, minister of education and sports said that the

750,000-U.S. dollar school is the second school donated by the Chinese

government to Uganda after a similar one was constructed in Kanungu district,

western Uganda.

She said the government is working on a plan to construct six more class

room blocks, dormitories and avail electricity and water to the school.

It is the first secondary school in the sub county, and has about 300

students who have been studying in nearby blocks as construction was going.

Sam Kutesa, area MP and minister of foreign affairs told the gathering that

the donation shows the strong ties between China and Africa dating back to over

50 years ago.

"When we are at international fora like the UN, China supports us when we

have problems and we also support it when it has problems. So I thank them for

this cooperation," he said.

Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Sun Heping said the donation was part of the

cooperation measures announced by Chinese President HuJintao in November 2006 to

help Africa sustain economic growth.

Leaders from Africa and China met in Beijing in November 2006 and mapped

out a plan to enhance the continent's bilateral relations with the

country.