Govt appeals to striking teachers to resume work

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Government has reaffirmed its commitment to address salary disparities in the education sector in Uganda through a phased harmonisation plan.

Relatedly, the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs Janet Museveni, has called on striking arts and humanities teachers to resume work in the interest of learners and national progress.

The minister made the appeal as she chaired an inter-ministerial meeting to resolve the ongoing strike by arts and humanities teachers.

Earlier this week, the arts teachers in Uganda went on strike protesting salary disparity. They accused the government of failing to equalise their pay with science teachers. Sections of teachers abandoned classrooms until their salaries were improved.

The First Lady convened the meeting on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at State House, Nakasero.

Senior government officials and other stakeholders attended the meeting. These included: Ministers Grace Mary Mugasa of State for Public Service and Dr JC Muyingo, the Minister of State for Higher Education.

The Permanent Secretaries Ramathan Ggoobi (Finance), Catherine Bitarakwate (Public Service) and Education—Dr Kedrace Turyagyenda of Education.

Leaders from the Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers' Union (UPHTU), the Association of Secondary School Head Teachers of Uganda (ASHU).

Several senior officials from the Ministries of Finance, Public Service, and Education.

During the meeting, Mrs Museveni reassured the teachers that the Government remains committed to inclusive salary enhancement. She stressed the importance of collective responsibility in nation-building, recalling Uganda's past struggles while expressing confidence in a hopeful future. She urged unity and perseverance.

"This is our homeland. Nobody will build it for us. We must do it together. The government has tried, step by step, to improve the lives of our people. It's not perfect, but it is progress," she stressed.

A release from the ministry states that Mrs Museveni pointed out that Uganda has come a long way from where it stood in 1986. "Building a country takes sacrifice, faith, and unity. The salary enhancements will come, but we must continue working together as a family of Ugandans," she said.

"Those who fought for Uganda's freedom in the bush had no salaries, no allowances, no accommodation and no certainty. Yet they persisted. Today, we have clean water, electricity, and children in school. That gives us hope. Let us stretch out our hands to one another as Ugandans and build this country. It will take sweat, patience, and perseverance. But we will get there, and salaries will come," Mrs Museveni counselled.

"I know your needs are real, but please, don't give up. There are many educated Ugandans with no jobs at all. The salary may be small today, but the opportunity to serve is not small. And it will grow," she said, appealing to the teachers for patience and faith.

How to harmonise salaries

In a paper titled "Government Commitment towards Enhancement of all Public Officers in the Public Service and Implementation Action Plan," Minister Mugasa, together with the Permanent Secretary, Catherine Bitarakwate, elaborated on two options proposed by the Government to harmonise salaries for arts and humanities teachers. The first option is a four-year phased enhancement (FY 2026/27–2029/30), allocating shillings 363.7 billion per year. This aligns with macroeconomic conditions and preserves space to enhance other civil servants who have not had raises in a decade.

The second option is a three-year acceleration starting with 50% in Year 1, costing shillings 727.4 billion, then 25% over the following two years.

The phased enhancement would benefit 148,487 education staff across post-primary and primary levels, with proposed salary increases ranging from shillings 2.2 million to shillings 6.5 million per month, depending on role and qualification.

"Let the salary enhancement find us working," Mugasa implored. "We cannot punish the learners. If we remain seated, the poor child loses out while those who can afford move their children to private schools. Let us not kill our own sector."

Ggoobi, the PS Ministry of Finance and Secretary to the Treasury, while acknowledging the teachers' frustrations, however, explained that the budget cannot accommodate more increases in the 2025/2026 financial year due to elections-related spending.

"We're not refusing to pay. We simply don't have the money in the 2025/2026 financial year," he said. "Option 1 is feasible. Let's plan and implement it starting FY 2026/2027."

Dr JC Muyingo appealed to teachers to resume teaching while discussions continue. "My dear colleagues, please pick up the chalk and return to class. Learners are preparing for mock exams, and continuous assessment contributes to final grades. Let us not punish the child. Finance has made it clear: the money is not available this financial year, but a grand plan has been tabled," he said.

The current teachers' strike was sparked by years of salary stagnation for arts and humanities teachers. While science teachers have received full enhancements under the government's phased pay policy, humanities educators—some earning less than shillings 600,000—say they have been excluded for nearly a decade.

Akello Teopista, Acting President of Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers' Union (UPHTU), thanked the government for convening the dialogue but demanded timely action.

"Since 2018, Arts teachers have never had their salaries enhanced. Hope has been shattered after realising that even this year, they have not been included, causing heartache," she said.

The teachers' union leaders agreed to take the Government's message back to their constituencies and consult grassroots members over the next week. A formal response will be submitted to the Ministry of Education and Sports on Thursday, June 26, 2025.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Sports, Dr Kedrace Turyagyenda, said, "We trust that these great teachers will come back with good news. The Government remains committed to inclusive and equitable enhancement for all public servants."