The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, has called on the Ministry of Finance to provide a firm commitment that salary increments for arts teachers will be included in the next financial year’s budget.
Ssenyonyi’s demand follows assurances by Speaker of Parliament Anita Among to the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu) that Parliament would ensure the long-awaited pay rise for arts teachers is captured in the 2026/2027 Financial Year Budget.
The pledge was made on October 8, 2025, when Speaker Among received a petition from UNATU urging the government to address persistent pay disparities between science and arts teachers.
During the parliamentary sitting, Ssenyonyi questioned the credibility of the pledge, noting that similar promises in the past had not been fulfilled.
He said without a formal commitment from the Ministry of Finance, the assurance remains uncertain.
Arts teachers have long protested unequal pay compared to their counterparts in the sciences, following government policies aimed at enhancing salaries for science professionals to promote science and technology.
Unatu has consistently advocated for salary equity, arguing that all teachers contribute equally to national development.
The Speaker’s pledge has rekindled hope among arts teachers, but Parliament now faces growing pressure to ensure the promise translates into tangible action in the 2026/27 budget planning process.