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Makerere University Administration building

The parliamentary committee on public service and local government has directed government to kick start the negotiation with the universities’ non-teaching staff on pending strike over their demand for salary increase. The directive was issued by the chairperson of the committee Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny after the Minister of state for planning, David Bahati, told the committee that the government has no funds for salary increase for university support staff this financial year.

The university non-teaching staff promised to strike starting 3rd August this year if their salary is not enhanced as it was done to university professors.

Bahati said that the non-teaching staff salary increase will only be considered in the next financial year and added that the ministries concerned are to hold negotiations with the universities support staff to ask them to wait a bit for their salary enhancement. He however observed the need for government to have a comprehensive salary structure for each sector instead of handling them in bits.

The minister of state for sports Charles Bakabulindi said that university professors’ salary was enhanced on the directive of the president after observing a risk of losing them to other countries which have better pay for them. Members of Parliament warned government on segregation while considering salary rise in any sector because it causes losing out some staff. The MPs also queried why the Ministry of education did not use the university councils to make salary increase and allocation to different category of staff instead of using the Ministry’s technical officers.

The universities’ non-teaching staff salary enhancement requires 30 billion shillings.

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Patients going to receive medical services at Mulago main referral hospital are still stranded as medical interns strike enters day three. Patients say they have waited for medical workers at Mulago in vain. However, authorities at Mulago hospital say the strike by intern doctors had less impact on service delivery at the hospital.

The interns went on strike since Monday 11^th May demanding payment of their salary arrears since December 2014. The hospital spokesperson Enock  Kusasira told journalists that  the hospital has about 800 nurses whom he says are ably administering medical  services to the public. He also noted that they are in touch with the line ministry and soon the funds will be available for the medical workers to resume work.

The last strike at the nation’s main hospital was in January 2015 by the interns demanding pay. This was called off after three days under allegations of threat of dismissal and cancellation of training by the hospital administration.

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Police on Monday fired teargas and shot bullets into Makerere University striking students. This was the second time Makerere University students went on strike, protesting against a policy which requires them to pay over 60% of their tuition fees in the first week of the semester.

According to the administration of Makerere University, the 60% tuition policy was formed by the Makerere university council reportedly in partnership with statehouse and the ministry of education and sports.

However the policy has triggered students’ strikes in the course of its implementation. But the oldest University in Uganda still defends its tuition policy, saying it is aimed at enabling the smooth running of Makerere University (commonly known as the Harvard University of Africa).

And some sources in the office of the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Professor John Ddumba-Ssentamu told us that their investigations reveal that some politicians and enemies of the university ‘bought’ some of the students’ leaders to moblise the students’ community to stage demonstrations.

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MakerereUniversity administration has threatened to expel over 500 students following Monday’s violent strike in which dozens of students were injured and the Anti-riot Police fired tear gas and life animations to disperse.

The striking students engaged in running battles with the Police and other security detectives protesting MakerereUniversity’s new directive to have 50% of their tuition fees paid before March.

The angry students stormed the University’s main building while waving placards inscribed “we need more time to pay tuition, we are tired of NRM government, Makerere University administration is expired,’’ among other wordings. By the time our reporters left the university police patrol vehicles were patrolling the campus and the policemen were beating whoever they expected to be part of the strike.

But it should also be understood that majority of the students who participated in the strike were from Primary/Secondary schools where they pay more than what they pay at Makerere University and always pay 100% before they report.

Critics and analysts argue that at times the students need to holistically look at some issues before they strike/riot. There are two semesters at MakerereUniversity in a year spread over 4 months.

The police also caused excitement by trying to chase the striking students around the campus and this is what led the strike to progress into full blown riot.

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According to the education and sports minister Maj. Jessica Alupo the students’ compensation will be taken care of by government because this strike was occasioned on them by their university managers and lecturers.

In a meeting with the students’ leaders at Kyambogo, Alupo also assured the students that the university will not be closed down again.

She however, warned the students against rioting in case of any challenges at the university but instead they should use the right channels to seek the attention of government to resolve their problems.

The students reported to the minister that among the challenges they face include harassments by male lecturers who ask for outings with female students in exchange for good marks, lack of enough lecture rooms, toilets, duplication of course units among others.

The minister said most of these issues are going to be solved when the ministry meets university heads this week while others will be resolved after a report into the management of this university comes out.

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Drivers and conductors of privately owned Pioneer Easy Buses have gone on strike due to non-payments of two months salary.

These pioneer buses are about 200 and   have been transporting people from the different parts of the Kampala.

The drivers and  the conductors  have camped at Namboole national stadium where the buses are  parked and  have vowed to continue with the strike until when the owner of these buses  address their grievances.

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In the third quarter of last financial year, (March this year), the students of Makerere University staged a strike over their unpaid internship cash.

The Police was heavily deployed to quell the strike. The police under the instructions of its inspector general, Kale Kayihura commanded beat students and one of the victims was a first year Computer Science student Nevis Namazzi.

Ms Namazzi was found in her room D18 at Douglas Villa Hostel in Kikoni. Her knee was shattered and her laptop, phone and other property were severely damaged reportedly by men in Uganda police uniform.

Until now she is lame and moving on clutches. Ms Namazzi says she met Kayihura twice who pledged to pay for her property and medical bills.

But up to date, Kayihura is tossing her around with unbecoming promises. However, Namazzi has registered her case through the Students Advocacy Forum (SAFO) to help her get justice.

SAFO is now calling upon human rights agencies and students to join them as they go with Namazzi in solidarity for a sit down hunger strike at the police Head Quarters on Friday 28th September 2012.

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There was joy among students and parents of Kyambogo University on Tuesday as the striking lecturers resumed work suspending three week long strike that last month led to the closure of this university.

In a meeting today between the university staff and National Union of Educational Institutions agreed to call off the strike after the embattled Vice Chancellor mr. Isaiah Ndiege agreed to step aside on Friday.

Ndiege is accused by the university low staff of running down the 10-year–old institution by undermining his subordinates.

Ndiege told the press that those fighting him want to grab university property and run away from its accountability.

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