News coming in from the northern Uganda based Gulu University indicates that the number of both teaching and non-teaching staff is not enough as compared to available job slots which has left most of the positions vacant!
The University is supposed to have 1,343 staff including both teaching and non-teaching personnel. However, only 441 positions, 33 percent have been filled up.
‘’Most of the positions were left empty because some staff members died, retired and others left for opportunities in the outside environment.’’ Mr. Khalid Mahmoud, the university Public Relations Officers said.
The government issued an order of not recruiting any new staff member across all public universities in Uganda due to the wage bill, last month. The same issue was raised on Mbarara University’s 26th graduation ceremony where the university vice chancellor Prof Celestino Obua cried to the Minister of higher education over the lack of lecturers at the institution yet the students number is increasing.
According to the 2018 Auditor General’s report, the university does not have the requisite number of academic staff despite teaching and research being its core mandate. The report revealed that out of 183 approved posts for key academic staff, only 37 were filled leaving 146 positions vacant.
‘’The University has done all it could, within its means to replace all staff that left by engaging part-time lecturers and visiting professors who are paid per hour to ensure quality service delivery to the students but the situation has worsened.’’ Mr. Khalid explained.
