First Lady urges URA to exempt Lightning Arresters Materials

By Frank Oyugi and Jk Olot

Uganda's First Lady, also the minister of Education and Sports has directed Uganda Revenue Authority to consider a tax exemption on Lighting arresters materials imported into the country by The African Centres for Lightning Education Network-ACLENet

ACLENet imports Lightning Protection Systems for schools in Ugand because non-tested and adequate materials are available in Uganda.

he African Centres for Lightning Education Network- ACLENet was established to provide lightning safety and protection, currently focusing on school children who research shows to be the most vulnerable group as they are gathered in large groups in school building that are not adequately protected from lightning. 

 It should be recalled that Lightning is the most common weather threat to life encountered by people worldwide. In Uganda, people often encounter lightning on a daily basis but have nothing they can do to prevent injury. 

On Thursday 11th April-2024, ACLENet's Managing Director , Dr. Mary Ann Cooper, a retired Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago, together with a team of a three ACLENet staff met with the First Lady and Minister for Education and Sports Janet Kataha Museveni at State House Entebbe to introduce her to ACLENet’s activities and to discuss strategic plans for the next 10 years.

The Minister, Janet Museveni responded positively with a pledge to give ACLENet a tax free privilege for the materials used for protection of schools. 

The First lady further directed Uganda Revenue Authority to remove the 30-35% taxes imposed on these materials. 

Dr. Cooper informed her that the money ACLENet spends on paying import tax to Uganda Revenue Authority could have protected three more schools.

Mrs.Museveni also pledged her support and involvement in ACLENet’s Lightning Safety Education Campaign facilitated with the help of US based volunteers, scientists, and authors of Lightning Safety books such as "So you think you know Lightning?” booklet Mr. Ron Holle and Dr Daile Zhang, and ACLENet's Communication team headed by Jane Kisha, Educationist Godwin Atwine and an enthusiastic team of lightning safety advocates who are volunteering their time to educate Ugandans countrywide. 

The First Lady also commended the organisation for providing skills training to the Ministry engineers.One of them is Brian Odongo, who now uses his knowledge of lightening protection in the design of new schools for the Ministry of Education and Sports. 

Dr Cooper extended an invitation to MD’s and to the first lady to to join ACLENet on 28th June 2024, a day designated by the global lightening safety community as International Lightning Safety Day (ILSD). ILSD is the day annually that ACLENet and others commemorate the day 18 pupils of Runyanya Primary School in Kiryandongo were killed by a single lightning strike. She also supported and pledged further involvement in the organisation's lightning safety Advocacy. 

The First Lady meanwhile proposed a meeting between the Ministry of Education and and the ministry of local Government to discuss partnership with ACLENet in providing further skill trainings to engineers in charge school construction, District School Officials and School heads.

Lillian Aber, the Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Kitgum on her part urged the government to set policies that regulate standards of locally installed Lightning Protection Systems to meet international standards. Aber says regulating policies would help ensure efficiency and effectiveness of Lightning Protection Systems that are locally installed in schools and churches.

    ACLENet's partnership with Ministries and Government Agencies:

In February 2022, ACLENet signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Prime Minister-OPM. ACLENet also works hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness and Ministry of Education. 

On 11-04-2024, ACLENet met with the Permanent Secretary at the OPM to discuss renewal of this MoU and were pleased to hear the PS say he ‘guaranteed’ renewal would move forward.

Outside of Uganda, ACLENet works with a network of supporters, volunteers, and advisers including lightning protection specialists and scientists, researchers, other well-wishers, and donors.h

Through donations and partnerships, ACLENet's has protected 7 schools in Uganda: Runyanya Primary school in Kiryandong District, Rock View Tororo, Palabek SS in Lamwo District, Mongoyo P7 School, Shone Primary school, Nkurunjiro Primary, and Buramba Primary. To date, ACLENet has protected over 11,000 students and teachers.

 ACLENet plans to use these schools as education centers and venues to further provide Lightning Safety Education and trainings at all levels – schools, communities, public education, social media, designers and installers, engineers.

"Our request to school heads and PTA bodies is they should protect and maintain the security and integrity of the already installed Lightning Safety System to assure continued protection of their students and staff"-ACLENet.

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