Ministry of Public Service and Labour has allocated a sum of Shs61 billion for the purpose of harmonizing salaries for staff across all public universities. This financial injection comes shortly before the expiration of the ultimatum issued by the Joint Staff Association of Makerere University, Uganda’s leading institution of higher education, which demanded additional funding from the administration.
The Joint Staff Association of Makerere University had stipulated that an additional Shs12,636,589,200 be included in the budget for the 2024/25 fiscal year to address longstanding issues of underpayment among staff. Scheduled for April 4th, an upcoming meeting aimed to provide updates on the impending industrial action. However, with the receipt of a letter dated April 3 from Mr. Godfrey Kaima on behalf of the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Service and Labour, staff members are likely to receive positive news.
Mr. Kaima’s letter confirms the allocation of Shs61,137,083,690 in the budget for the fiscal year 2024/25 specifically earmarked for the harmonization of salaries in public universities. This allocation follows a government commitment made on January 10 to address salary disparities in public universities.
A breakdown of the allocation reveals that Makerere University Business School will receive the largest portion at Shs14 billion, followed by Makerere University with Shs12.6 billion.
Other universities, including Muni, Kyambogo, Lira, Busitema, Mountains of the Moon, Soroti, Gulu, Kabale, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, and Uganda Management Institute, will also benefit from additional funding ranging from Shs1.3 billion to Shs6.3 billion to address salary discrepancies among their staff.
