Makerere halts cutting of evening lecturers' allowances

Makerere University Council has reversed the decision to cut the lecturers' allowances for teaching in the evening and reinstated the status quo for a period of three weeks.

This is to review the report which was compiled by the chairman of the appointments board Bruce Kabaasa on the payment of incentives.

On 1st September, the council resolved to cut the allowances of lecturers from 75 to 25% effective September because the University lacks the necessary finances.

This compelled the academic staff to suspend the teaching of evening classes until they agree with the University Management and Council on a reasonable allowance which must be paid to staff for teaching in late hours.

However during the council meeting chaired by the it's vice chairperson Dida Ovungi and attended by MUASA executive members, it was resolved that the implementation of payment of 25% allowance be halted for three weeks to review the incentives which must be paid to all staff members of Makerere University.

"We also agreed that some of the money should finance health insurance which is destined to start soon because it's as we speak not there at the moment.

We are even looking for support from government to fly out one of our fellow professors to South Africa for a liver transplant which is very expensive but because we don't have insurance, we have involved government" the MUASA chairperson Muhammed Kiggundu explained.

He added that today the teaching staff will hold a general assembly to call off the strike and resume teaching in the evening effective Thursday.

We have agreed to go back and teach. We shall be meeting for a general assembly and inform our colleagues and after that, we will issue a new communication from the council which we think shall be binding because it will be guided by the Kabaasa recommendations" Kiggundu said.