Makerere University is set to lay off up to 500 non-teaching staff in a restructuring exercise.
The development, confirmed by the university, was revealed by Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda on Thursday as he raised concerns about issues affecting Uganda’s premier institution of higher learning.Ssemujju told Parliament that university staff had approached him over the looming layoffs.
“Honourable Speaker and members, some staff from Makerere met me and informed me that the university is going to restructure. Close to 500 staff are set to lose their jobs,” Ssemujju said.
He questioned the transparency of the process and the criteria being used to determine which staff will be affected.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa supported Ssemujju’s concerns and urged the Ministry of Education to ensure fairness in the restructuring process.
“The Ministry of Education should take note of this matter. The process must be transparent and fair,” Tayebwa said.
The planned layoffs come against the backdrop of longstanding tensions over salary harmonization at the university.
For years, non-teaching staff have decried disparities in pay compared to their academic counterparts, especially in the wake of government-implemented salary enhancements that largely excluded them.
The issue has led to repeated strikes and work stoppages, reflecting deeper governance and equity challenges within Makerere’s human resource systems.
Makerere University’s communications office acknowledged the planned restructuring but said internal consultations were still ongoing.
Betty Kyakuwa, the university’s acting deputy chief of public relations, said the restructuring follows a 2024 University Council decision made after a three-year consultative process involving both academic and administrative units.
“In 2024, the University Council concluded a comprehensive restructuring of all academic and administrative units. This included a resolution to outsource cleaning and security guard services to enhance operational efficiency,” Kyakuwa said.
She added that the university is working with the Ministry of Public Service and the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development to ensure fair treatment of affected staff.
The development adds to ongoing scrutiny of Makerere’s governance, including past concerns about the management style and qualification controversies surrounding Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe.
