By KT Reporter
As the nationwide teachers’ industrial strike enters its fourth week, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are warning about the potential long-term consequences on Uganda’s young population.
The CSOs argue that those in government leadership remain insulated from the crisis, as they do not send their children to government schools. Instead, many have enrolled their children in elite private institutions or abroad, ignoring the plight of ordinary taxpayers who depend on public education, healthcare, and infrastructure services they say have steadily declined over the past four decades under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government.
The industrial action, declared by the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) on September 15, 2025, stems from salary disparities between arts and science teachers. UNATU instructed members to withdraw their services until the government addresses what they describe as discriminatory pay practices. David Asubu, a good governance activist and former Programs Officer at ActionAid West Nile, criticized the government’s handling of the crisis as “dismissive.”
“It’s the right of every Ugandan to demand better pay for their services,” Asubu said. “Teachers have legitimate reasons to strike given the government’s history of broken promises. Instead of engaging in dialogue, officials have resorted to intimidation.”
He noted that the government frequently approves supplementary budgets for nonessential expenditures, citing the Shs 100 million allocated to each Member of Parliament. Asubu urged the state to instead consider a supplementary budget to resolve the teachers’ grievances and reopen schools.
He also expressed concern over the growing number of children idle or engaging in petty trade due to the strike. “On my way from Soroti City to Lira, I saw many children selling mulondo by the roadside. These are children who should be in school,” he said. “If the government delays, we risk raising a generation influenced by street life and survival tactics.”
Santos Osekeny, Chairperson of NGOs and CSOs in Bukedea District, echoed the call for the government to prioritize citizens’ needs. “If the government claims there’s no money, it should cut budgets from sectors that don’t serve the public—like the huge allocations to State House and Uganda Airlines,” Osekeny said.
He decried the disparity between Members of Parliament, who receive consistent pay regardless of performance, and teachers, who sometimes go months without salaries. Osekeny further observed that some government officials own private schools, benefitting from the strike while taxpayers struggle to educate their children.
James Oluka, Executive Director of Humanity Forum Uganda, warned that continued school closures could increase teenage pregnancies and crime rates among idle youth. “Children are idle, and this could easily drive them into early sex, crime, or even political unrest,” Oluka said, condemning threats made against striking teachers. “It’s unacceptable for those in power to intimidate educators standing up for their rights.”
During her visit to Soroti City last week, Miriam Wangadya, Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, acknowledged the strike’s negative impact but emphasized that teachers have a constitutional right to demand fair pay. “While students are affected, teachers equally have rights that must be respected,” she said, urging them to consider returning to classrooms as negotiations continue.
Data from the Ministry of Public Service highlights the salary gap: a graduate science teacher earns a gross of Shs 4 million (approximately Shs 2.8 million after taxes), while an arts teacher receives only Shs 754,600 monthly. As the standoff persists, pressure continues to mount on the government to find a lasting solution that balances teachers’ welfare with learners’ right to education.
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