Dr. Twaha Ahmad Kasule, Director of the Islamic University of Uganda's Kampala campus, notes that the government's decision to increase salaries for public university lecturers, particularly those in science fields has created a challenge for private universities.
The government's recent salary increments for
lecturers and professors have sparked concerns among private universities, arguing
that this move has fueled competition for retaining lecturers.
The government's allocation of 50 billion Shillings for salary
increments in public universities saw a Professor’s salary nearly doubled, from 8 million to 15.6 million Shillings, while associate professors received a
substantial increase from 7.5 million to 14.8 million Shillings.
Dr. Twaha Ahmad Kasule, Director of
the Islamic University of Uganda's Kampala campus, notes that the government's
decision to increase salaries for public university lecturers, particularly
those in science fields has created a challenge for private universities. "The recent government decision to increase
salaries for lecturers and professors in public universities has put private
universities in a tough spot. You're aware of this challenge to us. This is making it very difficult for all private universities,
because we can't compete in terms of paying staff, to hold staff in private
universities like this." Kasule said.
A professor in a private university earns between four to five million Shillings.
He made the remarks during the
official launch of a newly constructed six-storied female hostel at the IUIU
Kampala campus at a cost of over $2 million that will accommodate more than 500
students.
Dr. Kasule proposed government support to
private universities through the secondment of senior lecturers, particularly
in science fields.
“Maintaining lecturers who teach medicine has become
very difficult in all private universities."Dr Kasule said I have been
proposing that the government consider implementing a system where senior
lecturers are seconded to private universities, allowing them to maintain their
government salaries while contributing to the quality of education in these
institutions,” He said.
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For instance with IUIU, Kasule said
with such assistance, the University would be relieved from the high burden,
and focus on the infrastructure developments that are currently needed for expansion.
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Professor Ismail Gyagenda, the
University Rector, appealed for additional support from the university's
partners, citing the need for more infrastructure to accommodate the steadily
increasing student population.
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Nusula Tiperu, Uganda's Ambassador to Turkey, urged the government to support private
universities in Uganda with all possible means. She acknowledges the
significant role these institutions play in the country's education sector.
"IUIU has the potential to
become the largest university campus in East Africa. I urge the government,
donors, IUIU families, and the Islamic community to consider ways to support
the university's growth and development," Ambassador Tiperu
emphasized.
According to Tiperu, Uganda is blessed to have two Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) institutions which include Islamic banking and the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU). She says these
institutions are poised to contribute significantly to Uganda's development.
"We aspire to establish the
Islamic University of Uganda as a top-notch institution, attracting students
from across Africa and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member
states. This presents a significant opportunity for Uganda, as our country is
frequently mentioned in discussions among OIC member states," Ambassador Tiperu
noted.
Kamali. M James
Freelancer