Who is supposed to fight for private sector scientists?
By Guest Writer More by this Author  More than a year ago, at the helm of the countys battle with Covid-19, President Museveni stressed the importance to increase pay for scientists having seen their tremendous work and tireless efforts in saving lives. The President is quoted to have said: Because now when we have coronavirus the doctors are on the frontline. I have not seen any administrator or clerk there. I see my young doctors and nurses on the frontline. When we had the floating island, my engineers struggled until they solved that problem.  In his address a year ago and one in 2018, it seemed that the Presidents efforts to raise the pay of the scientists were being numbed by either Members of Parliament who would not support his policy or his caucus refusal to show support to the plea. In constantly advocating for increased pay for scientists, his point was, giving scientists a salary boost would stabilise the country. This was one of the most defining moments to many scientists that shone a ray of hope amidst the pandemic pointing towards their pronounced future and perhaps well-being. In the 2020/2021 financial year budget, it was evident that more funds had been reimbursed to enhance associate professors, professors, the vice chancellors and deputy vice chancellors as well as researchers under National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro) to 100 per cent of what was considered as long term pay targets. Whilst other teaching staff and scientists in public universities were well enhanced as government was planning to continue provision of resources to enable implementation of approved long term pay targets for all Public Servants in a phased manner. Advertisement  In his recent State of the Nation Address, however, the President highlighted that he proposed that government scientists should start with Shs4m as pay per month when they join the Public Service while senior scientists should be earning Shs15m. He added that he wanted to retain the large number of scientists that have been trained. It is evident that the government continues to stage deliberate measures to necessitate the pay raise for public sector servants (scientists for that matter) whereas the ones in the private sector are left hanging in imbalance. The ones that are keynote in the countrys manufacturing industries, on whom products that make Buy Uganda Build Uganda what it is today rely, private sector scientists working double shifts to make ends meet only to attain a take home of at least half of what their counterparts in the public sector get. There is dire need to provide support routes that necessitate creation of better paying environments for scientists in the private sector and manufacturing too. Ugandas scientists in the labour market still struggle and are ultimately exploited because of absence of support routes like minimum wage which would otherwise set a pace for their employers. Ugandas minimum wage continues to be Shs130,000 per month while Kenyas is expected to reach KShs15,000 (Shs490,500) by the end of this year and Tanzanias ranges between TZShs 40,000 to 400,000 (UShs 60,762 to 607,625) If this is not clearly looked into, Uganda will continue to lose most of its competent scientists who might not be able to penetrate through into the public sector to foreign job markets in the name of seeking for greener pastures. And these are occasionally available in countries with economies that have understood how to strike this balance. Solomon A. Mutagaya  Chemical Engineer. msolomon788@gmail.com