Universities were closed together with other congregational places, like schools and churches as one of the initial measures to control the spread of coronavirus disease-COVID-19. Although the closure was initially meant to last 32 days, it has since been extended to May 5.
A number of Private universities
have alerted their employees that they will not be able to pay their salaries after
more than a month of inactivity, following the closure of education
institutions.
Universities were closed together
with other congregational places, like schools and churches as one of the
initial measures to control the spread of coronavirus disease-COVID-19. Although the closure was initially meant to
last 32 days, it has since been extended to May 5.
Ndejje University was the first
to alert its staff that they might not be able to get April salaries. The same
has since been echoed by several other universities with each passing an internal memo to its staff advising them to fasten their belts and plan for the
worst.
Nkumba University through its
secretary Associate Prof. Francis Kasekende has also sent a letter to its staff
explaining that since the University might not be able to avail their payments
starting with the running month of April.
The University Vice-Chancellor
Professor Wilson Muyinda Mande shares that hinging on cash inflows from
students’ tuition and given the fact that they are all away locked at home; the
University cannot raise any funds to pay staff salaries and other essential
items.
Prof Mande, however, advises the
staff to utilize the little they have sparingly, adding that the salaries will
be paid as and when the funds are available.
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Bishop Stuart University situated
in Mbarara is also facing the same dilemma. Professor Maud Kamatenesi Mugisha,
the Vice-Chancellor, notes that the university council has assured them of the
April salaries but remains uncertain on whether they will avail them payments
for May.
“The university council has
already assured us of April. But I cannot tell what will come afterwards. We
are all under a crisis. However, although we can see how things go at the
managerial level the final decision is with the governing body since it the one
that employs us.” Says Prof. Kamatenesi.
Prof. Muhammad Mpezamihigo, from Kampala
International University says that although cash inflows may delay, they plan
to give their teaching and non-teaching at least something that can keep them going
during the crisis.
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Prof. Mpezamihigo observes that
the crisis is an eye-opener to the private universities and their owners and
foundation bodies to consider investing and reduce their reliance on tuition
from students but also have some other source which can help them navigate
through storms like COVID-19.
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According to expert analysis, the
lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus disease has meant an immediate stop
in the cash flows of most businesses. This means many will struggle to pay
salaries, pension and other obligations like water and electricity. It is
expected that more companies will either layoff staff or cut staff pay to go
through the COVID-19 crisis.
Several countries have resorted
to giving institutions and companies subsidies to help them go through the
crisis.
