Arts teachers in a number of regions in Uganda have insisted they want their salaries increased in the next financial year starting July 2025 – and not in 2026 as promised by Public Service Minister Muruli Mukasa, The Pearl Times has confirmed.
From Lango, to Teso, and now to Ankole, teachers under their umbrella body Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers Union (UPHTU) are saying they do not want stories but money.
Meeting at Soroti Secondary School on June 01, UPHTU representatives of arts teachers from Lango and Teso resolved to continue with their June 06 strike even after the government promised to raise their salaries in the 2026-2027 financial year.
The teachers made it clear that they will not set foot in the classroom until their salaries have been raised to match those of their science colleagues which were increased in 2022.
The Pearl Times can also confirm that arts teachers in Ankole region have joined their counterparts in Teso and Lango in announcing their decision to join the industrial action expected to disrupt the school calendar starting on June 06, 2025.
They say government should find the money to raise their salaries in the 2025-2026 financial year. Arnest Bwambale, the regional coordinator for the Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers Union, told us this Tuesday, 03 June 2025, at Ntare Gardens in Mbarara City, that arts teachers would not go to class starting June 06 if the salaries of graduate teachers are not raised to Shs4m (from Shs960,000) a month and the pay of diploma teachers increased to Shs2.4m (from Shs745,000) a month.
As The Pearl Times has reported, Public Service Minister Muruli Mukasa has told arts teachers’ union that it is now too late to increase their salaries, and that they should wait. (See Details Here).
It should be remembered that the arts teachers have threatened to start their strike this week if government does not find money to increase their salaries to Shs4m starting July 2025, as reported Here.
Museveni’s government has said there is no money to increase arts teachers’ salaries as things stand now, with the president even telling arts teachers that ‘Shakespeare’s plays do not heal dying patients.’ (See Details Here, and There).
There are also rumors of an alleged plan by Museveni’s government to cut the salaries of science teachers after failing to increase salaries of their arts colleagues. (See Details Here and There).
The full salary structure showing how much each government employee category earns every month, and the list of Uganda’s most highly paid government employees are Here and There.
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