The implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM), the provision of health and education services, and the facilitation of land transactions at city and district levels are among the key services thrown into jeopardy after local government workers commenced a countrywide strike yesterday.
Local government workers, under their umbrella body, the Uganda Local Government Workers Union (ULGWU), laid down their tools due to the government’s failure to enhance their salaries.
ULGWU Secretary General Hassan Lwabayi Mudiba told Monitor that instead of fulfilling pledges to increase salaries or engaging the workers in dialogue, the government resorted to threats despite repeated petitions to the Public Service ministry.
‘We gave notice to the government through the head of Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet on September 18, 2025 of workers’ intention to undertake industrial action commencing on October 1, 2025, pursuant to section 14(a)(b) on serving notices between the government and labour union,’ Mr Mudiba said.
‘Unfortunately, the government has not responded to the notice. Yet, workers resolved to lay down tools as a way of expressing their dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to address salary disparities within the Public Service,’ he added.
Ms Catherine Bitarakwate, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, said her ministry was releasing an official statement regarding the strike, which had not yet been issued by press time.
Mr Ben Kumumanya, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, said engagements with various workers’ heads were ongoing to avert disruptions that could affect service delivery.
‘Apparently, the strike has not affected any service delivery because the local government workers are on their duty stations,’ he said.
‘I have held meetings with different stakeholders, including districts’ service commissions, district education officers, district health officers, among others, and this issue has been extensively discussed because these people’s salaries shall be enhanced in the coming financial year, and they know it,’ he added.
Strikes in context
The ULGWU strike comes as arts teachers under the Uganda National Teachers Union (Unatu) and lecturers and trainers from 150 government technical institutions under the Uganda Technical and Vocational Trainers’ Union (UTVTU) started a similar industrial action on September 15.
Three years after a similar demonstration in July 2022 over the same issue of salary enhancements, Mr Mudiba said workers have been patient with the government until they were pushed to the edge.
Despite a wage bill increase from Shs7.8 trillion in FY 2024/25 to Shs8.6 trillion in FY 2025/26, local government workers categorised under unconditional grant wages did not benefit from the increment, according to the union.
Mr Mudiba accused the government of creating ‘salary disparities’ through selective increases, polarising the civil service and demoralising employees. He also criticised the opacity of certain salary structures.
‘Like the National Planning Authority (NPA), their salary structures cannot be seen, yet there are no scientists, and I challenge the government to make public their salary structure and that of the National Environmental Management Authority (Nema),’ he said.
ULGWU National Treasurer Miriam Mukani said there was still room for dialogue.
‘If the government comes up and says let us have a dialogue, there is room. But as of now, since there is no response, there is nothing much we can do other than keeping on the strike until the government realises that local government workers also matter,’ she explained.
Mr Usher Wilson Owere, the former chairperson of the National Organisation of Trade Unions (Notu), said the strike by local government workers has a direct trickle-down effect on service delivery to the public because these employees deal with people on the ground.
‘Local government is the real government, and anything there affects the whole country, and that’s why I implore the government to quickly meet with the aggrieved workers’ leaders and solve this issue, as well as streamline industrial relations and ensure that the negotiation machinery put in place works,’ he said.
Except for Kampala Capital City, managed by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), a national government ministry established by the Kampala Capital City Act, 2011, the rest of the 146 districts, 10 cities, and 11 municipalities are governed under the Local Government system.
This means the striking employees provide services to a significant population, mostly in rural areas, which already face multiple challenges. Mr Owere said a meeting between ULGWU leadership, Workers Members of Parliament, and other trade union officials is expected at Parliament to devise ways of ending the strike.
‘We want to help the government move away from this mess once and for all instead of relying on people who are not bringing solutions to the problem,’ he said.
About ULGWU
ULGWU was formed in 2006 by a group of workers to advocate for the rights of local government employees. Mudiba did not specify the exact number of members but said the Union was gazetted twice by the Ministry of Gender and the Public Service Ministry.
The majority of members are administrative staff attached to 75 public hospitals and 398 health centres (III), over 10,000 parish chiefs, district accountants, district education officers, district health officers, human resource managers, among others. Salaries range from Shs187,000 to Shs990,000, depending on rank.
Their demonstration will have far-reaching effects. For example, district councils may halt operations because clerks are union members, revenue collection may stop since parish chiefs are off duty, probation cases will not be attended, and implementation of the PDM project will be delayed.
City and district land boards will not provide services, schools will go uninspected due to absent DEOs, and hospital support staff, including administrators, accountants, and mortuary attendants, will also stay home.
Situation on the ground
Mr Andrew Moses Awany, the president of the Uganda Local Government Association (ULGA), said the majority of local government workers remained at their stations and distanced ULGA from the strike.
‘We negotiated with the government about the salary enhancements of both political leaders and technical workers in local government, which they accepted and even committed in writing, and now we are just waiting for the actualisation in the next financial year, so those ULGWU announced their strike without consulting us,’ he said.
The majority of workers in different local governments contacted by this newspaper had turned up for duty yesterday.
In Kabale, the district communications officer, Mr Alex Byakatonda, said 99 percent of headquarters staff reported for duty. ‘150 out of 160 district headquarters staff reported for duty and business is normal in all the district departments,’ he said.
In Kisoro District, communications officer Imeldah Mukeshimana said most local government workers reported for duty as they were not ULGWU members.
‘The situation is not normal and business unusual because members of the ULGWU in Kisoro District did not turn up for duty as they joined their colleagues in the sit-down strike that started on Wednesday,’ she said.
Principal Administrative Secretary for Rukiga District Gideon Tumwesigire said it was business as usual since very few local government workers in his district are ULGWU members.
Local perspectives
The industrial action in Greater Masaka mainly involves lower-level civil servants, while scientists and other heads of departments at the district level recently received pay increases.
Mr Alfred Makumbi, parish chief of Mitondo Parish in Kyotera District, said poor working conditions prompted the strike. ‘We are pivotal to the efficiency of all government programmes; we need improved working conditions,’ he said.
At Kyotera District headquarters, staff attendance was 40 percent despite a letter from the chief administrative officer urging workers to report for duty.
Mr Gordon Mayanja, the chairperson of Kyesiiga Sub-county in Masaka District, said the strike could affect PDM implementation since parish chiefs, who are central to registering and monitoring beneficiaries, were absent.
‘The ongoing strike may make us miss out on PDM as chiefs won’t be able to register and monitor the beneficiaries,’ he said.
Key services affected
* Parish Development Model (PDM) implementation.
* Health services at public hospitals and Health Centre (III) facilities.
* Education services and school inspections.
* Revenue collection at parish and district level.
* Land board services at city and district level