Bulamogi County MP Kenneth Lubogo tasks Government to address issue of striking lecturers

Bulamogi County MP, Kenneth Lubogo raised his concerns on the government’s plan to stop strikes within public Universities in Uganda.

Lubogo while in parliament on Tuesday raised a matter of national importance in which he demanded to know what plans the government has to address the issues raised by the teachers in public universities.

“The strike is increasing the cost of maintaining students who aren’t learning. Some of these children are from poor families because they have to spend money to continue surviving. It also has an effect on the academic ranking of universities in this country as I speak, Makerere University which used to be the fifth on the African continent has dropped from fifth to about 16th,” Hon Lubogo noted.

At the beginning of this academic year, Last week, academic and non-teaching staff from all public universities in the country decides to go on site down strike until the government releases all due and outstanding funds for their salary enhancement amounting to Shs150Bn.

Rebecca Kadaga who is the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga directed the Minister of State for Higher Education, John Chrysestom Muyingo to today 14^th August 2019 update Parliament on the alleged strike of staff in public universities.

However, Hon Muyingo told Parliament that the Ministry was aware of the impending strike and says that there is an ongoing meeting in state house Entebbe to address the matter and has promised to address the country on the outcomes of the meeting.

‘It is true staff of academic and non-academic public universities have threatened to put down their tools as I talk right now, there is an important meeting taking place in State House trying to devise ways and means of addressing this issue and as soon as the meeting is done, the country will be informed’, the minister said.

Dr Grace Lubaale, Chairperson Forum for Academic Staff in Public Universities (FASPU), insisted  that their planned strike would proceed as earlier planned until government releases all the money the staff are demanding in arrears and due payments.