By Weswa Ronnie
MBALE CITY
Mbale City teachers, under the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU), have rejected a request by the Resident City Commissioner (RCC), George Wopuwa, to call off their sit-down strike.
The strike, which began on Monday, September 15, 2025, is in response to the government’s failure to fulfill its promise of a salary increase made four years ago.
Teachers are demanding that government honors its pledge to raise their salaries and the teachers feel that the government has been making promises without taking concrete actions.
Most of the schools in the city didn’t open after teachers sent back the children which forced the RCC to call the crisis meeting of all primary school head teachers on the same day, 15th September, 2025.
RCC George Wopuwa during the meeting urged head teachers to persuade their colleagues to resume classes, assuring them that the government plans to increase their salaries.
Hamuza Banja, the Deputy RCC, added that the government has already started addressing the concerns of science teachers and will extend this to other teachers.
However, Christopher Majema, the Mbale City Chairperson of UNATU, stated that teachers are unwilling to return to class unless their salaries are increased, citing four years of patience with unfulfilled promises.
Most schools in Mbale city remained closed on Monday, with children sent back home, highlighting the strike’s impact on education.
The situation underscores the ongoing challenges in Uganda’s education sector, where teachers’ welfare and salary disputes continue to affect the quality of education. The outcome of this strike will likely have significant implications for the city’s students and the broader education system.
