By KT Reporter
As schools across the country prepare to open for the new academic year, the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) has signalled a shift in strategy amid continued disappointment over unfulfilled government promises to enhance salaries for arts teachers. For many years, the opening of schools has been marred by familiar scenes: threats of strikes, delayed teacher reporting, and tense negotiations rooted in demands for fair pay and better working conditions.
This pattern intensified after the 2021 salary reform, which awarded science teachers a 300 percent increase while leaving arts and humanities teachers behind, creating a persistent and widely criticized pay disparity that has fuelled resentment and supervisory challenges in schools. In late January 2026, Parliament approved the Budget Framework Paper for the 2026/27 financial year. The document made no allocation whatsoever for salary enhancements for arts teachers, directly contradicting earlier government pledges made during the height of last year’s teachers’ industrial action.
Speaking to our reporter, Filbert Baguma, UNATU Secretary General, confirmed the union’s decision to prioritize dialogue over confrontation at this stage. “It is unfortunate that the government has not yet effected the promised enhancement,” Baguma said. “But we believe there is still room for meaningful dialogue.” He recalled that during last year’s industrial action, which reached its peak amid a charged political atmosphere, the government had pledged to implement phased salary increases for arts teachers. At the time, the matter was escalated through the Speaker of Parliament, Annet Anita Among, with assurances that the resolution would be fast-tracked.
“Last year we took the matter to the Speaker (of parliament), and we were promised results. However, because it came at the height of a political season, the speaker and the designated committees may not have prioritised or expedited the changes we expected.” The union now plans to return to the Speaker’s office to press for inclusion of the long-promised enhancements in subsequent budget instruments.
Francis Ssematimba, UNATU’s branch chairperson in Masaka city, welcomed the change of approach. “Tools down has not yielded results, and the members want results. This repeated confrontational style has actually taken the union down in the eyes of many. Some members have even been abandoning the union because of it,” Ssematimba said.
Ssematimba said UNATU members kept repeating the same actions while expecting different results. He welcomed the shift in direction. “From the start, some members urged the union to tone down rhetoric, change language, and step away from constant confrontation and an ‘I want posture’. Dialogue and strategic engagement offer a stronger path,” he added.
Ssematimba’s remarks reflect a growing sentiment among some teachers who feel that repeated strike threats, while drawing public attention, have not produced lasting salary gains and have instead damaged the union’s credibility with both government negotiators and ordinary members. Meanwhile, Minister of Public Service Wilson Muruli Mukasa expressed surprise and concern upon discovering that the anticipated provisions were absent from the framework paper. The minister has since directed the Ministry of Finance to ensure the matter is addressed and reflected in the forthcoming budget circular.
Meanwhile, the broader education sector faces additional strain. According to the Ministry of Education and Sports, the indicative budget for the Education and Sports Sub-Programme in 2026/27 stands at approximately 5.35 trillion shillings, which is a reduction of about 209 billion shillings compared to the current year’s allocation of around 5.56 trillion shillings.
State Minister for Education and Sports Peter Ogwang recently told Parliament’s Education Committee that the cuts threaten several key commitments, including teacher salary enhancements, preparations for major international events such as the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), and the planned rollout of free and compulsory Universal Primary Education.
The ministry has stated that it requires roughly 1.9 trillion shillings to fully meet its targets under the National Development Plan IV.
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