In a sudden twist of events, the President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has summoned the University Council Chairman Eng. Dr. Charles Wana Etyem to a meeting in State House over the situation at Makerere University.
This is after a close to 6 hours meeting of the Council over the unpaid arrears of the Teaching Staff which resolved only half the issues.
In the Council meeting today, members resolved to pay with immediate effect 3.7B UGX to the MUASA leadership which is only arrears for the month of February.
The Council further resolved to pay 100% arrears for the months of March until June when they will completely discontinue the program of paying incentives for lecturers.
“At the moment, the stand from Council is to pay 3.7B UGX to the striking lecturers for the month of February,” said the Guild Vice President Maria Nantabi who was also in the Council meeting.
The incentives program arose when the President promised to pay incentives to Lecturers at Makerere in a bid to put them on international standards.
However, this money was to come in phases which was unfavourable for the staff. It is from there that the University Council took up the initiative to pay the said incentives which in the long run affected service delivery to students and the Council thought it wise to stop the program.
As at the moment 75% of Makerere expenditure covers salaries and only 25% goes to students’ welfare.
Earlier on when the Dep. Attorney General met Council members, he promised to extend their grievances to the President and it seems to have worked.
The Guild Vice President also informed us that the University Council Chairman has gone to State House for a meeting with the President over the issues at Makerere.
