Davis Kawalya
The government finally heard public University Professors plea for a pay increase, while installing the new Gulu University Chancellor Professor Frederick Ian Bantubano Kayanja, Education and Sports Minister Jessica Alupo said that the pay increment will kick off from the next financial year.
Salaries for Professors at public Universities will increase from about 4million shillings to 15million Ugandan shillings; she also said that salaries of other lecturers in the public universities would be scaled up according to seniority in the respective universities. She said that the proposed increments are aimed at motivating lecturers at various levels so that they concentrate on their work and engage in research.
Jack Nyero Pen-Mogi the Vice-Chancellor of Gulu University says that a professor is the highest educated person in a country but unfortunately, they are under paid, he went on to assert that young people taught by professors end up with better pay when they join various Government departments or statutory authorities in the country.
On the other hand, Walter Okot, the General Secretary Gulu University Academic Staff Association (GUASA) claims that the salary increment could stop or reduce brain drain.
In the past, Public University lecturers have continuously striked over late pay and low salary pay grade, but it’s the hope of the Government that these uncalled for strikes will not occur again in public universities.
