Govt releases Shs60bn for public varsities staff salaries

Last month, Makerere University staff gave the government until April 8 to find Shs12.6 billion for their salaries or they withdraw their labour

EDUCATION | The Ministry of Public Service and Labour has released Shs61 billion for harmonisation of salaries of staff at all public universities.

The financial boost comes just five days to the April 8 industrial action ultimatum that the Joint Staff Association of Makerere University, Uganda's premier institution of higher learning, gave their administration.

Makerere's joint staff had the administration to find Shs12,636,589,200 and add to their budget or they withdraw their labour.

In their ultimatum, the joint staff said the Shs12.6 billion had to be included in the budget for 2024/25 "so as to stop the injustice of underpayment that many members of staff have suffered for very many years and continue to suffer".

The Nile Post understands that the joint staff had on March 28 scheduled another meeting for tomorrow Thursday, April 4, to update their members on the industrial action demands.

However, it looks like the meeting scheduled for 2pm tomorrow will not have staffers wearing long faces anymore even as Dr Jude Ssempebwa, secretary general of the academic staff association, confirmed it will go ahead as planned.

Instead, they will be grinning with bunny smiles as they receive the April 3 letter from Mr Godfrey Kaima, who announced the belated Easter Eggs on behalf of the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Service and Labour.

"The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to inform you that a total of Shs61,137,083,690 has been provided in the Budget for FY 2024/25 for harmonisation of salaries for public universities," Mr Kaima wrote.

On January 10, the government committed to provide the resources for harmonisation of salaries for public universities.

A breakdown of the of the financial boost for staff salaries shows that Makerere University Business School will receive the biggest share of Shs14 billion, followed by Makerere's Shs12.6 billion.

Muni University staff have an extra Shs6.3 billion to share over the next financial year, Kyambogo University Shs6 billion, Lira Shs4.7 billion, and Busitema Shs3.9 billion.

Staff at Mountains of the Moon will share Shs3 billion in the next 12 months, Soroti Shs3.8 billion, Gulu Shs2.3 billion, and Kabale taking in Shs2.2 billion.

Mbarara University of Science and Technology has Shs1.8 billion to its staff salaries budget while Uganda Management Institute has been boosted with Shs1.3 billion.