Former Coordinator of Intelligence Agencies, Gen David Sejusa, has appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to address the worsening situation of Ugandan teachers, urging the government to reduce the hefty pay of top officials and redirect the funds towards improving teachers’ welfare.

Gen Sejusa said the government’s treatment of teachers has reached “a desperate level,” calling on the President to act with compassion rather than repression.

“Something needs to be done, Mr President; not to sack them, not show them who is stronger, because they are very weak, at the mercy of the government, and they know it, but they are desperate,” Sejusa stated. 

He added, “They’ve got to try and do something. We usually talk about Arts teachers, but I see the conditions of these primary school teachers, and the things they are forced to do to be able to survive, I wouldn’t even write them here!”

He revealed that he has witnessed firsthand the severe challenges the teachers endure, including poor pay and deplorable living conditions.

Drawing comparisons with the early post-independence years, Sejusa recalled a time when teachers enjoyed decent pay, free housing and access to land for food production.

“Some time back, I read in the Newspaper when two MPs, one also a Minister, Alexander Lobidra from West Nile and George Magezi from Bunyoro, walked out of the 1st Parliament when Obwangor introduced a motion for MPs to increase their salaries,” Sejusa recounted. 

He said, “Yet, that was at the time teachers had free accommodation, their children studied free up to university, and there was land set aside at school compounds where teachers grew food to augment their earnings.”

Gen Sejusa criticized the current levels of remuneration enjoyed by Members of Parliament and senior government officials, saying they were unjustifiable given the country’s economic realities.

“Today, an MP earns almost a billion shillings a year as salary, allowances, travel, and all included, which comes to about 80 million per month,” he noted. “Others earn even more, like the Speakers, the Whips, the LOPs, the Committee Chairs, RDCs, Advisors, Parastatal heads, and other big offices. Why can’t government reduce a little from these people and pay our teachers? ”he noted. 

Sejusa warned that the continued neglect of the teaching profession posed a grave risk to the nation’s future, as demoralized and impoverished teachers cannot effectively educate Uganda’s children.

In a direct appeal to President Museveni, he called for empathy and leadership rooted in moral duty rather than political convenience.

“I directly plead with the President to ignore those who try to politicize this issue, to exploit it for partisan ends,” Sejusa urged. 

He added, “Ignore them because they are good-for-nothing people. Real good people are suffering here, and need no partisan crap to ditch them further. Just do the right thing, show the big heart, sir, not the destructive hammer.”

Gen Sejusa’s remarks come amid mounting concern over the ongoing teachers’ crisis, with educators across the country decrying delayed payments, poor working conditions and lack of government commitment to improving their welfare.

Gen Sejusa has urged government to prioritize education and treat teachers as essential pillars of national development rather than expendable workers.

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The National Unity Platform (NUP) has taken a major step toward rejoining the Inter-Party Organization for Dialogue (IPOD), revealing renewed interest in constructive political engagement after years of absence from the platform.

In a letter dated October 10, 2025, addressed to the NUP Secretary General, IPOD’s Executive Director, Dr. Lawrence Sserwambala Kabagabe, welcomed the party’s expressed desire to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), commending NUP for its commitment to strengthening Uganda’s multiparty democracy.

“IPOD appreciates your party’s intention to sign the Memorandum of Understanding and commends your party’s commitment to strengthening Uganda’s multiparty democracy through constructive political dialogue,” Dr. Kabagabe stated.

However, IPOD clarified that signing the MoU is not the first step in joining the organization. The letter drew NUP’s attention to Article 5.2.7 of the IPOD MoU, which requires any political party eligible to join to first express its interest in writing to the Secretary to Council.

“A political party eligible for joining IPOD shall express its interest in writing to the Secretary to Council, where a party is expected to state its intent to participate in the objectives, principles, and obligations of the organization,” the letter reads in part.

The secretariat explained that a formal expression of interest is the first legal and procedural step before the IPOD Council considers and approves a party’s application. Only after this approval can a new member formally sign the MoU and participate in IPOD programs.

“In line with this provision, the process of joining IPOD is distinct from simply signing the MoU. The formal expression of interest constitutes the first legal and procedural step, which then allows the IPOD Council to consider and approve the application,” Dr. Kabagabe added.

IPOD further advised NUP to submit a written Expression of Interest reaffirming its commitment to the objectives, principles, and values of IPOD, as well as its readiness to take part in the dialogue processes and institutional structures.

“Accordingly, NUP should submit a formal written Expression of Interest affirming the party’s commitment to the objectives, principles, and values of IPOD as outlined in the MoU and equally indicate readiness to participate in IPOD’s dialogue processes, programs, and institutional structures,” the secretariat directed.

Once NUP’s request is formally submitted, IPOD said it would be processed in accordance with the MoU and the legal framework under Section 20 of the PPOA (as amended), which governs inter-party collaboration.

“We reaffirm IPOD’s commitment to inclusivity, transparency, and the advancement of peaceful, issue-based political engagement in Uganda. Your participation would enrich the platform’s diversity and strengthen collective efforts toward a more democratic and sustainable political environment,” Dr. Kabagabe noted.

NUP recently wrote to IPOD expressing readiness to sign the Memorandum of Understanding and resume participation in the dialogue platform after years of boycott, citing the need for genuine engagement among political actors. The party’s move marks a significant shift in its stance and could potentially reinvigorate dialogue among Uganda’s major political parties.

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