KUMI, UGANDA – As the nationwide teachers’ strike entered its 29th day on Tuesday, a senior military official appealed for patriotism and patience, drawing parallels to the armed forces’ own long wait for better pay.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The strike, which began on September 15, 2025, has brought the longstanding dispute over unequal pay for science and arts teachers to a head, affecting thousands of students in government schools and several tertiary institutions.
The call for resolution came from the Deputy Chief of Defense Forces, Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding, while addressing a gathering of over 900 graduates at a passing-out ceremony at Kumi University.
The gathering of ‘patriots’ was a mosaic of Ugandan professionals, uniting university students, community leaders, and a vocal contingent of teachers, whose ongoing strike provided a potent backdrop to the day’s proceedings.
Addressing the participants, Lt. Gen. Okiding revealed that the uniformed services comprising the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), Uganda Police Force, and Uganda Prisons Service, endured low pay for 37 years before seeing a salary enhancement.
“We waited for 37 years before our salaries were enhanced, yet we had children and other responsibilities to take care of, but we were patient,” Lt. Gen. Okiding stated.
He emphasized that despite the financial constraints, the UPDF remained dedicated to its duties, including, as he noted, dismantling 20 rebellions in the country.
He urged the striking teachers to weigh their decisions with a similar patriotic spirit, implying that continued service, even during a dispute, is a form of national duty.
The teachers’ action, led by the Uganda Professional Humanities Teachers Union (UPHTU) and the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU), stems from a grievance over the government raising salaries for science teachers but not for arts teachers with similar qualifications.
The unions have labeled the policy discriminatory and have issued several unmet deadlines for the government to address their demand for equal pay and salary harmonization.
The strike has gained significant momentum, with over 10,000 humanities teachers, joined by thousands of others from various schools, withdrawing their labor.
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