Teacher pay disparity: LOP Ssenyonyi proposes supplementary budget

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Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, has advised the Government to table a supplementary request to Parliament to address the pay disparities between science and arts teachers.

He offered the advice during plenary on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, wherein he warned that arts and humanities teachers across the country had gone on strike, demanding pay equity, and the matter needs to be addressed.

Ssenyonyi also said curbing public corruption would unlock the much-needed funds.

“The IGG says we lose over shillings 10 trillion to corruption every year. Stop stealing taxpayers’ money, and there will be money to pay the teachers,” he said.

Arts subject teachers started striking in early June over salary disparities, earning less than half of what their colleagues teaching science subjects receive.

“They are saying they are teachers too, just like the science teachers, but they have been discriminated against severely. They have warned that they are not going to carry out assessments, and that is a big concern for our young people who are in school,” Ssenyonyi said.

According to available information, graduate science teachers earn shillings four million while diploma holders earn shillings three million. Most arts teachers, meanwhile, earn below one million.

Teachers with similar qualifications and workloads, the Leader of the Opposition noted, were being paid grossly unequal salaries, with arts teachers earning up to four times less than their science counterparts.

“We are happy science teachers got a raise. But you cannot do it for some and not others,” he argued.

He further pointed to absurd situations where headteachers with arts qualifications supervise science teachers who earn more than them, calling it a “management crisis.”

He also cited the Auditor General’s report for the year ending 2024, which revealed that retired science teachers receive pensions higher than the monthly net pay of currently serving arts teachers.

Engagement

In response, Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua confirmed that engagements between the education ministry and the leadership of arts teachers were ongoing.

“There is no intimidation at all, we believe in dialogue and consensus,” he assured the House.

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, who chaired the House, acknowledged the urgency of the matter and asked the sector minister to update the House once negotiations conclude.

Higher education state minister Chrysostom Muyingo said the ministry had held several meetings with the teachers and that their leadership had agreed to suspend the strike.

“Government is committed to raise the salaries of all our public servants fairly,” Muyingo said, promising feedback from consultations by Thursday.

Government lawyers fleeing Police

Meanwhile, Sarah Opendi (NRM, Tororo District Woman MP) added her voice to the debate, highlighting equally pressing concerns about pay disparities among government lawyers.

“There is a serious pay disparity among the lawyers working in the Police force and other lawyers in government,” Opendi said.

She warned that the discrepancy was fuelling an exodus of legal officers from the Uganda Police Force to other departments, particularly the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney General’s Chambers, where pay is significantly higher.

“This matter was presented here. The last time, the Attorney General said they had appealed. I want to confirm, there is no active appeal,” she said.

The Deputy Speaker backed her call and directed that the Attorney General update the House on the issue.