Teachers under the Uganda Professional Teachers Union (UPHTU) in Kabale District are calling on the government to prioritize salary enhancement in the 2025/2026 financial year.
The call was made on Monday during a press conference held at Vienna Guest House in Kekubo, Southern Division of Kabale Municipality. Praise Twebaze, the UPHTU Coordinator for Kabale Municipality, warned that unless their demand for a salary increase is met, teachers will not return to the classroom. He also urged colleagues who have not yet joined the strike to do so, saying failing to join would be a betrayal of their collective struggle.
CUE IN TWEBAZE……ON THE MATTER…….RR/ENG//
Wilber Ayebare, the UPHTU Coordinator for Kabale District, emphasized that arts teachers deserve equal pay with their science counterparts. He argued that both groups conduct lessons of equal duration and have similar financial needs. Ayebare cited the rising cost of living and the need for fair compensation as key reasons for their demand.
CUE IN AYEBARE……ON THE MATTER……ENG//
Vicente Bakare Arijuna, the Director of Studies at St. Maria Gorretti Secondary School, encouraged fellow teachers not to be intimidated by government threats but to remain committed to the cause. He stressed that arts teachers, like their science colleagues, have families to support despite receiving lower pay.
Innocent Tuheisomwe, a teacher at Buhara Secondary School in Kabale District, expressed frustration, noting that many teachers are going to class pretending to teach due to low morale and lack of motivation. She added that the pay gap has led to division among teachers, with science teachers boasting about their higher earnings.
CUE IN TUHEISOMWE……ON THE MATTER……RR//
The teachers began their strike on June 6, 2025, in protest against the government’s failure to fulfill its promise of increasing their salaries. While the government had pledged to enhance the salaries of arts teachers in the 2026/2027 financial year, the union is demanding that the increment be implemented this financial year instead.
The Uganda Professional Teachers Union (UPHTU) has officially gone on strike, citing unfair salary disparities between arts and science teachers.
