M7 Orders Alupo to Find Teachers’ 20% Salary Increment

Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has ordered the Minister for Education Jessica Alupo to find a 20% salary increment for teachers in the next two weeks.

In a Thursday night meeting held at State House with the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) executive council and the minister, the president tasked Alupo to form an inter-ministerial committee to analyse the budget and find a 20% salary increment for the teachers.

This comes  a surprise since the NRM caucus sitting i Entebbe on Monday this week chaired by the President agreed to raise the teachers’ salaries only by 4% arguing that government had no money as donors had pulled out funding from the national budget.

The UNATU general secretary James Tweheyo in a press release says they will wait for the new arrangement to materialize before they call off the strike.

Among other things discussed were the capitation grants and salary arrears of teachers’ from the last month which the President has also ordered be paid immediately.

Jessica Alupo confirmed to local media on Friday afternoon that the meeting at State House agreed that they would form an intra-sectoral committee with the Ministry of Finance to look for a possible way of increasing teachers’ salaries.

Teachers have been threatening to lay down tools if the earlier agreed upon 20% salary increment this financial year is not achieved.

Government announced a 50% salary increment for teachers to be carried out in three financial years starting with a 15% which was effected last financial year then 20% this financial year and another 15% next financial year.