Universal primary education (UPE) is a crucial strategy for the global target of "Education for All," but several countries failed to meet the 2015 mark. This study investigated parents' perceptions of UPE in Kotido District, Uganda. Data were collected during face to face interviews from 36 purposively selected parents who had school-age children. The results indicate that whilst parents perceived UPE positively, only 13 (36.1%) had all their school-age children enrolled in primary schools. The reasons which influenced parents' decisions were socioeconomic, environmental, and cultural. The study also revealed that 32 (88.9%) parents had not attained formal education, which may have influenced their perceived value of education and their choices to enrol children in UPE. Also, parents were cynical about the survival of Karimojong pastoralist culture with the successful implementation of UPE. This study contributes to the understanding of factors that influence access to primary education and recommends more parental involvement in designing further education strategies that suit marginalised communities worldwide.