Lawmakers have demanded that the Ministry of Education and Sports pays salaries of part-time instructing employees of Kyambogo University.
The beneficiaries embrace those that have been discontinued and others who’re nonetheless instructing however have deligently pushed on for a number of months with out pay.
The matter that was raised by Workers’ Representative, Hon. Margaret Rwabushaija throughout plenary sitting on Tuesday, 17 September 2024, was responded to by the Minister of State for Education and Sports (Primary Education), Joyce Moriku throughout plenary sitting on Wednesday, 18 September 2024.
The minister defined that fee of the arrears for all part-time instructing employees now totaling Shs6 billion has been constrained by funds cuts.
“Wages for half time lecturers is beneath allowances which can be launched quarterly and these endure funds cuts. The funds line for allowances suffered a funds reduce of Shs2.6 billion leading to non-payment of non-teaching employees and this accrued into arrears,” Moriku mentioned.
She added that in the course of the present quarter of the monetary 12 months (July to September), solely Shs149 million was launched to the college, which is insufficient.
Moriku additional defined that the employees have been discontinued as a result of the college’s coverage on recruitment was revised and concerned promoting of vacant positions of part-time lecturers, saying that those that have been discontinued weren’t profitable.
Rwabushaija, nevertheless responded by arguing that consideration ought to have been made to prioritise fee of arrears earlier than recruitment of recent employees.
“The part-time employees have been wanted due to scarcity of full-time employees however on the identical time, the college’s Human Resources division was directed to get part-time employees and others who weren’t paid have been laid off. This signifies that staff are usually not thought of,” she mentioned.
The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, concurred with Rwabushaija, saying that failure to pay arrears of the employees might end result right into a courtroom case, subsequently costing authorities extra funds.
“What is evident is that we have to put money into training. All of us are merchandise of training. It is essential that we care for this, allow us to pay the part-time instructing employees earlier than throwing them out,” mentioned Ssenyonyi.
Workers’ Representative, Hon. Charles Bakkabulindi, mentioned that the employees who have been discontinued are entitled to their salaries.
“Whether recruited rightly or wrongly, they’re entitled to funds. Before you are available in with how you’ll take care of gaps, first right the error. Let us deal with them like human beings. I’d count on the minister to inform us how we’re going to get the Shs6 billion,” Bakkabulindi mentioned.
Luweero District Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Brenda Nabukenya, famous that whereas Kyambogo University has good infrastructure, there’s want for presidency to put money into the human useful resource, saying that the present staffing degree at 30 % compromises the standard of training.
“We can not get high quality training with out human useful resource, with 30 %, there’s a drawback. The minister should settle for this; a division will need to have senior lecturers, assistants and professors,” she mentioned.
Hon. Emmanuel Ongiertho (FDC, Jonam County) known as for a complete report on all public universities, saying that just about the entire establishments face comparable challenges.
“If we take a call to audit these universities, it needs to be completed for all public universities and different greater establishments of studying,” he mentioned.
The Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (Central Government), Hon. Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, reported that the committee already carried out oversight visits to public universities, amongst different entities and the reviews are prepared for presentation, to which the Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, guided that the reviews be introduced subsequent week.
