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Concerns emerged at Parliament on Thursday morning over reports of an impending restructuring at Makerere University.
The process, according to reports, could result in the layoff of approximately 500 staff members.
The issue was raised by Kira Municipality MP, Hon. Ssemujju Nganda, during the morning plenary session.
Nganda revealed that some Makerere staff members had approached him the previous day (Wednesday), expressing concerns about the restructuring process and the selection criteria for those affected.
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I was approached by some Makerere University staff yesterday who told me that the university is going to restructure and that in this restructuring, about 500 staff are going to lose their jobs.
Their complaint was about the manner in which it was being done and the selection of who will be affected. I request that the government briefs Parliament on that restructuring that is going to cause us problems.
Deputy Speaker Calls for Transparency
In response, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, promised to take up the matter with the Ministry of Education.
He guided, however, that the House should refrain from interfering with the day-to-day operations of government institutions, urging that they be given a chance to implement their restructuring plans.
“What is important is the need for transparency in the process...the Minister of Education should ensure fairness and merit in the decisions made,” he said.
"I am going to take a keen interest in this matter and raise it with the Minister of Education.”
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At the time of the session, no further details had been provided regarding the justification for the restructuring or the specific criteria that would be used to select those affected.
Our efforts to seek comments from Makerere University on the matter have so far gone unanswered.
Staff Salary Disparities and Strikes
The announcement of the impending restructuring at Makerere comes amid ongoing labour unrest at the university, particularly regarding salary disparities.
In October of the previous year, Makerere staff staged a strike over claims of significant salary differences between Makerere staff and their counterparts at other public universities.
Staff from various associations, including the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA), the Makerere Administrative Staff Association (MASA), and the National Union of Education Institutions (NUEI), participated in the strike.
For years, Makerere’s staff have been paid less than their peers at other public universities, with some staff members earning as little as half the salary of those working at other institutions, despite having similar qualifications.
These disparities led to several demonstrations, with staff members demanding fairer pay.
In January of this year, Makerere University Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, announced the completion of the long-awaited staff salary harmonisation process, which aimed to address the pay disparities.