Union Pleads for Release of 16 Teachers Jailed by Loan Sharks
Solomon Musinguzi, the UNATU Kagadi chairperson, expressed frustration over the continued detention of the teachers, accusing leaders of abandoning them during the International Teachers’ Day celebrations.
KAGADI – The Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU) leaders in Kagadi have called for the release of 16 teachers who were arrested and remanded to prison over unpaid loans.
The teachers, both from government and private schools, had borrowed money from lenders to meet essential needs, including paying school fees for their children.
Solomon Musinguzi, the UNATU Kagadi chairperson, expressed frustration over the continued detention of the teachers, accusing leaders of abandoning them during the International Teachers’ Day celebrations.
"These teachers are suffering, and our leaders did not even attend the national commemoration of the day held here in Kagadi," he lamented.
The International Teachers' Day, celebrated on October 5, saw the Kagadi UNATU chapter use the occasion to appeal for urgent intervention by the government.
Musinguzi disclosed that the teachers, imprisoned at Mambugu government prison, had accumulated multiple loans from money lenders and financial institutions, which they were unable to repay due to low salaries and harsh working conditions.
“For years, we have called on the government to raise teachers' pay. They go to the same markets as members of parliament, doctors, and engineers whose salaries are significantly higher,” Musinguzi explained.
He added that many teachers are forced to borrow from money lenders to cover basic needs, only to be imprisoned when they fail to repay.
Musinguzi also highlighted the challenges faced by private school teachers, who often receive inadequate and delayed pay from school proprietors.
“Government should step in and regulate private schools’ payments because many proprietors don’t want to pay, and if they do, it’s meagre compared to the services teachers provide,” he said.
The situation has prompted many teachers to leave the profession. Musinguzi revealed that 45 government primary school teachers in Kagadi have either resigned, requested early retirement, or shifted their focus to business ventures that offer better financial returns.
“We talk about a bright future, but teachers are leaving the profession for better opportunities. The government needs to wake up,” he added.
John Bosco Kasigazi, head of Trinity Primary School, voiced similar concerns, criticizing the government for its failure to provide accommodation or proper burial arrangements for teachers. “There is no respect for our profession.
Teachers don’t get decent burials, we have no staff accommodation, and political interference makes our jobs harder. Does the government even value us?” Kasigazi asked.
Despite the teachers’ pleas, none of the district’s civil servants, including the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the Inspector of Schools, or the district chairperson, attended the event.
This absence further angered the teachers, who had hoped their grievances would be heard and forwarded to higher authorities.
Eric Musana, the Buyaga East Member of Parliament, who later joined the event as the guest of honor, sympathized with the teachers, recognizing the vital role they play in shaping future professionals.
“None of us becomes great without a teacher. Neglecting the profession is detrimental to the future of all other professions,” Musana remarked.
He pledged to take the teachers’ concerns to parliament as a matter of national importance and push for the release of those imprisoned.
“It is unacceptable that no district leader attended this event, but I will ensure that the teachers' issues are addressed at the highest level,” Musana concluded.