Instructors of government-aided Ihunga Polytechnic Institute and Kibatsi Technical Institute in Ntungamo district have demonstrated over delayed payment of their salaries.
The instructors say they have not received salaries since October last year.
Now, they say they cannot proceed with instructing students when theirs are still at home due to lack of school fees.
The demonstration coincided with the opening of the new academic year, which was yesterday, February 5, 2024.
The two technical institutions have over 50 instructors and non-teaching staff.
Onesmus Ndyaguma, a plumbing instructor at Kibatsi Technical Institute Kajara who led the demonstration, said it is disappointing that even when they tender their complaints of delayed payment, the responsible officers take long to address their concerns.
Atuhaire Ketty Hamidah, an Instructor at Ihunga Polytechnic Institute, said the delayed salary payment is affecting the education of their children, yet they are teaching others’ children.
When the protestors tried to access the office of CAO Mathias Ndifuna, an office messenger locked it up as the CAO was not around at the time.
Ntungamo district principal human resource officer Muhairwe Jenipher apologised for the delayed salaries but attributed it to enhancement of salaries for science instructors of technical institutions in the district.
