Arts teachers across Uganda have refuted claims by the Ministry of Education that they reached an agreement to suspend their ongoing strike and return to the classroom. \
Speaking in Mbarara on Tuesday, leaders of the Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers Union (UPHTU) insisted they have no such arrangement with the government and remain committed to their industrial action.
The union’s president, Teopista Akello, told teachers from districts across the Ankole sub-region that the government had failed to honour past commitments to improve arts teachers’ pay and instead shifted blame when questioned.
Teachers held placards with slogans such as “NO EQUAL PAY, NO CLASS” as they gathered in solidarity.
“We were made to meet the minister five days before the start of the strike, and when I reminded him of his commitment, he said we should forgive him because the money was diverted to another sector,” Akello told the crowd.
She added that during a meeting at State House, senior officials including the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Public Service and the State Minister for Higher Education all denied making any promises to raise salaries.
Akello said the government’s new proposal of a phased 25% salary increment in the 2026/2027 financial year falls far short of the union’s demand for a 100% pay rise—equal to what science teachers were granted earlier.
“That’s not what was used to give others. We want the 100%, not these piecemeal suggestions,” she said, vowing that teachers would remain home until their demands are met.
Asked if they were willing to wait for the proposed 2026 increment or stay out of class, the teachers responded unanimously in favour of staying home.
“We are not going back to class unless we have our salaries increased,” Akello said firmly. “Let the government sit down, reorganise itself and find the money.”
Gaverse Muhirwe, the union coordinator for Mbarara City, expressed disbelief that the government could not meet their modest funding demand.
“We don’t even need half a billion,” he said. “With all the budgets passed since 2018, arts teachers have not been considered. We thank those in top schools who’ve risked their jobs by walking away from PTA allowances—this fight is bigger than that.”
Meanwhile, State Minister for Education John Chrysostom Muyingo told Parliament on Tuesday that government discussions with arts teachers were ongoing and that a phased salary increment plan was in place.
“Government is committed to raising their salaries in a phased manner,” Muyingo said.
Despite this, arts teachers countrywide remain defiant and absent from class. Whether the government will yield to pressure remains to be seen, but the prolonged strike is already straining the education system and exposing deep-rooted pay disparities.