Stanbic installs solar power system at Mbale School for the Deaf

October 12, 2026 in Companies by Editor

Stanbic’s Tunde Thorpe (next to panels) handing over the donation to the school leadership

Stanbic Bank Uganda has installed a hybrid solar power system at Mbale School for the Deaf to improve evening study conditions and provide reliable lighting during power outages.

 

Stanbic Bank Uganda has installed a hybrid solar power system at Mbale School for the Deaf to improve lighting and support evening learning for students.

The system will provide a more reliable source of electricity for the school’s main hall, which doubles as a dining area and evening study space between 7pm and 9pm.

Tunde Thorpe, Stanbic’s Executive Head of Business and Commercial Banking, said the intervention followed discussions with school management, which identified unreliable electricity as a major challenge.

“We believe a lack of access to power should not limit learners’ education,” Thorpe said, adding that the system would improve the learning environment while reducing reliance on conventional energy.

School headteacher Esther Akuku said the installation would help improve academic performance by ensuring lighting remains available during power outages.

She explained that light is particularly important for learners with hearing impairments, who rely on visual communication.

Established by the government in 2008, Mbale School for the Deaf offers secondary education alongside vocational training in fields including agriculture, automotive mechanics, electrical installation, plumbing, welding, construction, fashion and design, and woodwork.

Thorpe said the initiative forms part of Stanbic’s Positive Impact Agenda, which focuses on supporting women, young people and farmers, as well as promoting inclusive education.

Despite the new installation, the school faces other infrastructure challenges, including inadequate classrooms, limited washroom facilities for girls, insufficient staff accommodation and a shortage of water-harvesting tanks.

Joy Wamalugu, acting Mbale District Education Officer, called for support to improve water access, warning that students face safety risks when they leave the school to fetch water because of their hearing impairments. She urged stakeholders to help provide a safer and more reliable water supply within the school premises.