Primary and arts teachers employed by the government will begin earning significantly higher salaries after the Ministry of Public Service announced a pay rise of about 50%, ending years of complaints over low wages.
The salary enhancement, unveiled by the Minister of Public Service, Gen. Katumba Wamala, forms part of the government’s Shs9.708 trillion wage bill for the 2026/27 financial year. Speaking at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, the minister said the additional funding is intended to improve staff welfare, strengthen service delivery and address staffing challenges across the public service.
Under the new salary structure, a Primary Teacher Certificate holder will now earn Shs700,000 per month, up from Shs499,684. The monthly salary for a primary school head teacher has almost doubled, increasing from Shs777,512 to Shs1.53 million.
Graduate arts teachers have also received a substantial boost, with their monthly salary rising from Shs745,000 to Shs1.35 million. Meanwhile, the salary of a secondary school head teacher has been increased to Shs3.56 million per month.
Gen. Katumba said the latest salary review is part of the government’s broader plan to progressively improve the earnings of public servants. He noted that further salary enhancements will be implemented in phases, depending on the availability of resources.
The minister also emphasised that the government remains committed to maintaining discipline in managing the public wage bill to ensure that salary improvements are financially sustainable.
In addition, he announced the operationalisation of the Public Service Pension Fund under the Public Service Pension Fund Act, 2025, saying the new pension scheme is expected to strengthen retirement benefits and improve the long-term welfare of public servants.
