Upon arrival to Owiny Primary School which is located about 10 km from Pakwach Town in Panyango Sub-county one would expect to find history written all over the school. However, surprisingly the school had not changed much from what it looked like before November 3rd, 2013. On that day, hundreds of people from all over the world including President Museveni converged at the school compound to witness the Hybrid Total Solar Eclipse after the school was identified as one of the best vantage places in the whole world from which to view the eclipse. “When they reached there, the machine confirmed to them that really that is the spot where it would be the best focal point for the whole world to come and view the event.” Said, Godwin Chekechan – 2nd Deputy Headmaster, Owiny P/S.

By the virtue of the school becoming a historic site, the school authorities and the pupils thought their school would benefit immensely. “When the eclipse comes, many people were telling that we shall be the best school in Uganda. And development will be coming in this school but our leaders ate all the money.” In fact, in some ways, it was in the worst state than it was. “They removed our wooden window shutters which to us were better, they brought in these other glasses which glasses were not properly made with the correct glue. As we look around, most of them are fallen and the glasses are broken. So for us, we believe that actually, it has done more harm than good if we were left with our wooden structures of ours. And then, those other painters of the roof were putting on a special kind of shoes which were metallic and it made a lot of destructions on most of the old iron sheets that we had and causing our rooms to begin leaking immediately they had accomplished their face lifting, and that was also a disadvantage.” Said, Godwin Chekechan – 2nd Deputy Headmaster, Owiny P/S.

Apart from the water tanks brought to the school in the build-up to the eclipse citing which were left unconnected to the rainwater supply and the numerous promises made by the government, none of the promised improvements had been realized. “Going to the actual budgeting or the planning of what we expected here on the ground, we presented it but when they made a final copy, they didn’t give us the actual approved budget that we were supposed to be visible and tangible to us in the school.” Said, Godwin Chekechan – 2nd Deputy Headmaster, Owiny P/S. The school’s staff members also reside in make-shift structures that were not befitting the stature of a world tourism site. “When you look at the staff quarters, see how they are as if it is a hut for the pigs. But the kind of semi-permanent you see there is the house for the head teacher.” Said, Godwin Chekechan – 2nd Deputy Headmaster, Owiny P/S.

Four years after the eclipse, Nebbi district which took over the ownership of the site on behalf of the government had dug holes around the site hoping to plant trees and eventually start work on beautifying the site. The school administration however, believed the project was long overdue. Apart from the monument that was built in the school playground, and the borehole over there. The Administration here at Owiny Primary School say the school and the community did not benefit much from hosting the focal point for the Hybrid Total Solar Eclipse.