Education
Classrooms Deserted as Busoga Teachers Join National Strike
Teachers under the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) in the Busoga sub-region have launched a sit-down strike today, ignoring warnings from Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) who labeled the protest as unconstitutional.
A morning inspection across districts such as Jinja, Kamuli, and Kaliro revealed deserted classrooms by 9:00 a.m., pointing to significant participation in the nationwide industrial action. The strike was officially endorsed by UNATU’s national secretariat, which asserts that engaging in lawful strikes is a legitimate right of teachers.
According to UNATU representatives in Busoga, their earnings have failed to keep up with the rising cost of living in Uganda, where food prices and other essentials have increased sharply.
Regional chairperson Aisha advised parents to keep their children at home, citing safety concerns. She stated that teachers would not return until the government gives them the rightful amount they want.
In Kaliro, the local union chairperson expressed frustration that many educators can no longer afford to pay secondary school fees for their own children, something he described as deeply embarrassing. Over in Kamuli, district chairperson Anthony Kibumba noted that union “whips” are actively monitoring schools to ensure that all teachers comply with the strike. He also warned parents that there are no teachers to receive pupils.
Meanwhile in Jinja, Chairperson Emmanuel Wambuzi stressed that teachers are also parents, and clarified that the strike is not intended to harm the public. Rather, it is a call for a decent standard of living. The union insists that while the government has increased salaries for some civil servants in recent years, teachers, particularly those in the arts and at primary level, continue to face financial neglect.
Local authorities are advocating for peaceful resolution through dialogue. John Bosco Mubiito, RDC of Jinja, emphasized that the ongoing strike affects the learners most, and called on teachers to put the strike on hold in the interest of students. Similarly, Rodgers Kiduma, Assistant RDC of Kaliro, said the government is already in the process of reviewing salaries and is coordinating with the district education office to encourage teachers to return to their duties.
The protest forms part of a wider national strike spearheaded by UNATU, Uganda’s largest teachers’ union, which has had multiple disputes with the government over salary and welfare matters. Previous strikes, including a major one in 2022, resulted in pay raises for science teachers, but left arts and primary educators dissatisfied, further widening the salary gap.
With the third term of the school year now in session, a vital time for national exams, the impasse leaves thousands of students in Busoga and other regions in uncertainty, while also underscoring the ongoing struggle between Uganda’s teachers and the government over equitable pay.
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