No salaries for Muk staff

BY DAMALI MUKHAY
Makerere University will not be able to pay monthly salaries for all its employees until the university re-opens.
The university was closed on the 1st of November on the directives of President Yoweri kaguta Museveni to guarantee the safety of persons and property.
The closure followed a strike by lecturers who were protesting against delays in clearing their incentives arrears that had accumulated since February amounting to 39billion.
The vice chancellor of Makerere University Prof Dumba Ssentamu confirmed to KFM in a telephone interview that the university will not pay their staff members until when the university opens and students pay tuition.
A notice dated 25th November, 2016 signed by the University Council Chairperson Eng. Dr. Charles Wana Etyem, says that though the government has released its portion to the wage bill as appropriated, the university is unable to make its contribution due to the closure.
The letter was also addressed to the Minister of Education and Sports, Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Public Service, Attorney General Principle private secretary among others.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor finance and administration Prof Barnabas Nawangwe said the university contributes 40% to the wage bill accounting for 30billion per annually which money is collected from internally generated revenue like fees from Private students.
Mr. Barnabus however blamed the government for failing to take over the institution’s wage bill to reduce its financial burden just like it did for other public universities in 2006.
The University had 5billion on the account at the time of closure.
However, the spokesperson of Makerere university academic staff association Mr Deus Kamunyu says that the university is just doing this to push them on the wall so that they can dismiss their strike which will not happen.
“We fell that this could be one way of manipulating us to drop our causes which are largely genuine cause. Earlier on they had said that they had said they had money and r before we closed, there was an attempt to pay us some of money on incentives so I do not know where the money went,” Mr Kamunyu said.
He noted that it is unfortunate that they will not receive their salary and yet they are the aggrieved and victims in this matter asking the university council to drop political issues and solve the problems affecting the university.