At a time when students in public universities expect the government to be finalising with disbursing Shs 56bn for the striking varsity staff, Keith Muhakanizi, the permanent secretary for ministry of Finance has insisted there is no money.

While being hosted on Capital FM on Saturday, a day when all public universities were expected to open after several postponements, Muhakanizi said: "The supplementary budget money that would be used to pay striking staff was spent on South Sudan rescue mission...and there is no money now."

Justice Kenneth Kakuru of the Constitutional court has vehemently criticised police brutality meted out to Ugandans.

While officiating the launch of the African Media Barometer (Uganda) 2016 report which details media freedom in the country at Sheraton hotel on Wednesday, Kakuru described the public flogging of Ugandans in Kampala as completely unacceptable and unconstitutional.

Guild presidents of public universities under their umbrella, Public Universities Student Leaders Forum (PUSLF), have given government an ultimatum of not more than 48-hours to have resolved the grievances of striking staff.

Speaking at a press conference held at Makerere on Wednesday, the chairperson of PUSLF and guild president of Gulu University, Robert Mukembo said that the strike has lasted for so long and it should end immediately.