Museveni insists Ugandan scientists should be paid according to global market rates

President Museveni has said Ugandan scientists ought to be paid in relations to the current regional and global market rates so as to help the country stabilize its technocratic services.

Parliament early this year halted government's proposed move to increase science teachers' salaries starting with the 2018/2019 financial year.

Government had proposed science teachers to earn shs.1.9 million whereas the payment for an arts teacher with the same qualifications was proposed to be shs600,000.

Speaking at the commissioning of the new Mulago Specialised Neonatal Hospital on Tuesday, Museveni asked Members of Parliament to assist him ensure the proposal is passed by parliament.

“We are remaining with only one issue that I ask MPs to ensure Ugandan scientists are paid according to market rates, not only regionally but internationally,”Museveni said.

According to the president, government does not have many scientists, citing doctors(in government hospitals) who are only 2500 and nurses being only 23000, noting these are easy to be paid.

Museveni cited an example of a stalemate that happened recently when the Human Resource manager for the East African Civil Aviation Academy, commonly known as Soroti Flying School which almost forced pilots and their trainers to strike.

“Pilots wanted a salary increment but the administrators (human resource manager) of the school wanted that they be paid the same salary as pilots,”Museveni said.

“The pilots almost went away until ordered that their payments increased and the administrators can wait.”

He insisted that it is not easy to train or get scientists like the case is with other fields.

“Let us solve the issue of salaries so we can stabilize the technocratic services in Uganda. Let them be sorted and others can come later.”

 The parliamentary committee on education recently tabled a report that noted that the proposed salary increment between science and arts teachers will create disparity among them despite similar qualifications.