The Minister for Gender, Labour, and Social Development, Betty Amongi, has raised concerns about a funding shortfall of 20.8 billion shillings required to support elderly individuals under the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) program for the fiscal year 2024/2025.
Speaking at a Media Sensitization workshop on Social Protection in Uganda, held at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala, Minister Amongi announced plans to seek supplementary funding to ensure social protection for all elderly persons aged 80 and above.
Minister Amongi also outlined other government programs aimed at aiding vulnerable populations. She highlighted the Special Grants for the Elderly Persons (SEGO), which targets individuals aged 60-79. Under this program, groups of five elderly people can apply for a grant of 5 million shillings to fund sustainable enterprises.
Additionally, she detailed the Special Grant for Persons with Disabilities, where groups of five disabled individuals can apply for a 5 million shilling grant through a Community Development Officer (CDO) to support their enterprises.
Other initiatives mentioned by the Minister include the Youth Livelihood Program and the Uganda Women Enterprise Programme (UWEP), which provide support for young people and women, respectively.
For the 2024/2025 fiscal year, SAGE has been allocated 100 billion shillings, with other allocations including 27.2 billion for the Youth Livelihood Program, 8.11 billion for Persons with Disabilities, 6 billion for Councils, and 2.7 billion for wages.
Patrick Katabaazi, Coordinator for the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection, expressed concern that key priority areas are facing reduced allocations, potentially affecting the full implementation of social protection programs.
Samuel Ibanda Mugabi, President of the Uganda Parliamentary Press Association (UPPA), emphasized the media’s role in facilitating public dialogue and ensuring government accountability in providing necessary information on social protection issues.
Stephen Kasaija, head of the Programme Management Unit at the Ministry, stated that the media training aimed to deepen understanding of SAGE and the broader social protection sector, promoting accurate and informed reporting on these crucial matters.
