STATE TOAST: First lady Janet Museveni (R) toasts with her Rwandan counterpart at Serena Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda on Sunday. Looking on is President Museveni (2ndL)and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame.

Kampala
Teachers have accused the government of lack of goodwill to address their demands and yet it continues with lavish spending and generous donations on foreign trips.
Uganda National Teachers Union (Unatu) yesterday said President Museveni’s latest donation towards the construction of a Rwandan primary school, especially at a time when the country is failing to address ‘genuine demands’ for better pay locally for teachers, meant government is being insincere about its claims of not having money.
President Museveni on Sunday donated $300,000 (about Shs780 million) to help finance the construction of a new building for Nyamugunga Primary School in Kigali, Rwanda.
The teachers union said they are not against the donation but argued that it proves that money can be found. “This is an indication that funds are there to meet domestic demands. I don’t want to believe there’s no money. It is a question of shuffling priorities,” Unatu deputy chairperson James Tweheyo said.
The donation comes just a few days after teachers agreed to suspend their countrywide strike over poor pay. The teachers are demanding a 100 per cent salary increase and are currently negotiating with the Ministry of Education to find a resolution.
Unatu officials held a meeting with President Museveni last Thursday where he asked the teachers to be mindful of national priorities. The Unatu chairperson, Ms Margaret Rwabushaija, said the donation is proof that there is “some way of getting money,” and that the President must “make sure he’s also giving Ugandans help at home.”
The government, however, argues that the donation is a one-off intended to develop friendly international relations with Rwanda and cannot be related to the teachers’ strikes. “We want very good relations with our sister countries and the money is for a noble cause. The teachers are looking for a sustainable wage bill and there is not enough money in the kitty. The teachers’ cause is also appreciated but the two cases do not merit comparison,” said presidential press secretary Tamale Mirundi.
Asked whether the President had made any similar donations in the recent past, the Minister for Presidency Ms Kabakumba Masiko said she was not aware of any. Two weeks ago the President did make a Shs100 million donation at a fundraising function at the State House in Entebbe to build a student centre for Dar es Salam University.
Ms Kabakumba, however, could not also explain how the money, donated to Nyamugunga Primary School will be transferred. The money represents up to 12.8 per cent of the money set aside in the state budget for donations in 2011/2012.