At least 73 primary school teachers in Masaka district have gone without salaries for the past four months. The affected teachers work at different government primary schools in Buwunga, Kyesiiga, Bukakata, and Kyannamukaaka sub-counties that make up Masaka district.
Charles Zinabala, a Primary Five teacher at Kajuna Church of Uganda Primary School reveals that he last received payment in August last year and is currently struggling to sustain his family. He says he raised his concern with the District Education Officer whose promise to rectify the problem is yet to yield results.
He says that despite their predicaments, the DEO instead instructed them to report to his workplace without fail. Zinabala bemoans that he has now failed to take his four secondary school children back to schools due to lack of money, a situation that is demoralizing to him.
David Kiguli, another teacher at Kajuna Primary school explains that he has taught in the same schools for five years but suddenly stopped receiving his salary in September last year. He argues that together with other affected colleagues, they formally reported the challenge to the district education authorities who have to their disappointment also failed to solve the problem and provide them any explanation.
Kiguli says that they are only being asked to wait yet they also have several pressing obligations they owe to their families.
Mathew Bayita, the Deputy Headteacher of St Immaculate Kasaka Primary School in Buwunga sub-county, says three of the ten members of their staff have not received salaries since September last year, something that has compromised their efficiency at work. He however indicates that they are engaging higher authorities in the district to urgently rectify the anomaly, for purposes of ensuring effective service delivery.
John Baptist Mulindwa, the Assistant Masaka District Education Officer acknowledges the problem and urges the affected teachers to remain at school, saying their concerns are being addressed. Masaka district has 846 teachers deployed in 78 government-aided primary schools, according to records from the human resource department.
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