Katunguka writes to Kyambogo University staff over salary arrears

Kyambogo University vice-chancellor Prof. Eli Katunguka

Kyambogo University vice-chancellor Prof. Eli Katunguka has written to the academic staff promising to clear all their salary arrears by August.

In a letter dated June 6, Prof. Eli Katunguka told the lecturers that the top university management had agreed to clear their salary arrears in four phases. The VC's letter has forced the lecturers to call off their strike that was in its second week. 

The lecturers went on strike over delayed salary payments for five months. ​

Katunguka said the first phase of payment of the arrears would be done in June. New Vision has now confirmed that over 90% of the lecturers have received their salary arrears for January and February.

Prof. Katunguka also promised to pay the March and April staff salary arrears by the end of June and July, respectively

New Vision has learnt that the lecturers' strike had affected the marking of last semester's exams and the supervision of the ongoing student's internship.

Over 5,000 students participating in internship activities were after the strike started left stranded at several centres in the country with their supervisors making no shows.

Katunguka told the lecturers that the allowance related to projects/ research supervision and marking of examination scripts for 2014/15 and 2015/16 shall be settled by the end of August.

Before the letter was written, Kyambogo University Academic Staff Association (KYUASA) leaders and the university top management held a meeting on May5 to forge a way forward.

KYUASA chairperson Dr. Grace Lubaale told New Vision that they had set tough condition before accepting to suspend the strike.

Lubaale said they told the university management if all the arrears are not settled by August, the lecturers shall not go to class to teach. "But right now as you speak to me, I am in the field supervising students," Lubaale said.