Museveni Minister Tells Arts Teachers to End Strike or Lose Their Jobs. Humanities Union Fires Back

Junior Minister for Public Service has told arts teachers to end strike or lose their jobs. The humanities union has fired back at Minister Grace Mary Mugasa.

Arts teachers have been on strike since June 06, 2025. They are demanding Shs4m for a graduate teacher, a raise that would match the salaries of their science teachers.

In July 2022, government increased the salaries of science teachers significantly, creating salary disparities, demoralizing the arts teachers and their headteachers (of humanities) who now have to supervise teachers who earn more than them.

Also, it was not until months ago that government raised salaries of science headteachers in secondary schools, as reported Here.

Arts have rejected calls by government to call off their strike with promises for salary raises starting in July 2026.

Reports indicate that government ministries of public service, education and finance gave arts teachers under their bodies, Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers’ Union (UPHTU) and the Association of Secondary School Head Teachers of Uganda (ASHU), two options for salary increment.

The first option is for a four-year phased manner enhancement with effect from the Financial Year 2026-2027. For this option, government would allocated Shs363.7 billion for salary enhancement every year.

The second would see salary enhancement in a three-year acceleration model. In the first year, the salaries would be enhanced by up to 50 per cent costing up to Shs727 billion.

For the following two years, there would be a 25 per cent increment for each financial year.

After the June 19 inter-ministerial meeting chaired by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Janet Museveni at State House, Nakasero, arts teachers under the Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers’ Union (UPHTU) said they would not eat further promises.

Today, junior minister for public service Grace Mary Mugasa told arts teachers to accept to go to class or risk losing their jobs.

Mugasa also said that government was already paying arts teachers more money than their counterparts in private schools.

She also told teachers that it was an honor for them to be government employees and that there were thousands of teachers who have been volunteering in seed schools and are ready to take jobs at the current salaries offered to arts teachers.

Indeed, as The Pearl Times has been reporting, over 600 teachers and non-teaching staff have so far been appointed for government payroll jobs, with the latest batch being hired on Tuesday. (See Details and lists Here, There and Over There).

ARTS TEACHERS RESPOND

Under UPHUTU, arts teachers have accused Mugasa of intimidation, “double standards” and reminded her of her previous promises.

“Dear Hon. Grave Mary Mugasa, the Minister of State for Public Service, you are the very person that spoke these words to the press on 17th January, 2025 after a threat of notice for an industrial action by the Teachers of Humanities,” the union said in a statement responding to Mugasa.

“It’s now an act of double standards when you appear before the same press at Uganda Media Centre to intimidate the teachers who are reminding you of what you assured them… ‘we have put in money for the 2025/2026 budget for enhancement in a phased manner for Arts Category… So, where is that money?”

Government has insisted there is no money to raise teachers’ salaries, with the latest explanation being that the priority is on the 2026 election. As teachers insist that they will not return to class, the second term schedule is likely to continue being disrupted. (See Details Here, There and Over There).

You can our previous report on the pain in the figures as shown in the salary differences in secondary schools Here.

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