Elderly persons in Kibuku district have cried out loud to the government for delaying paying them their Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment [SAGE].
This happened on July 27 at Mudir primary school Buseta Town Council, Buseta Sub County in Kibuku district.
Mzee Senjja Henry of Buseta zone who represented the elderly persons in Kibuku district says that they used to receive more than Shs100,000 but now recently this year they received only 75000 ug shs for three months which is so confusing to them.
He adds that the government should always try to be transparent while giving them this money because when government officers give them the money, they don’t tell them for how many months is the money.
Adds that they don’t trust these officers when it comes to money distribution as they believe that they are cheating them and that these officers don’t take time to educate the elderly persons on how this SAGE program runs.
Meanwhile, the elderly persons aged between 60-79 years have complained about being discriminated against by the government towards this SAGE program in that the government mostly favors those of 80 years.
Benego mala 76 from Nyeke zone says that the government should stop prioritizing those of 80 because they are also facing a lot of challenges including body weaknesses and illness. Adds that they are not being helped yet they are also poor and cannot even help themselves.
Waswikile Charles 78 from Bunyekero 2 zone says that the government came out to help the elderly person and started with those of 80 years but later promised to include those of 60years too unfortunately up to date they have not received any help.
However, Tibbo Julius the Community Development Officer- CDO Buseta sub-county Kibuku district calls upon this elderly person to be patient as their money is safe and that the Shs7,5000 they received in April was meant for only three months that’s October, November, and December 2021.
Adds that the government soon this year will pay them their money from January to date and that those below 80 years are to be considered soon so that they all benefit from this SAGE program as Ugandans.
In 2010, the government of Uganda introduced the SAGE program through the ministry of gender, labor, and social development as a pilot scheme in 15 districts to serve citizens who are 80 years and above, and it has become successful benefiting a cumulative 393,000 over the last 10 years.
Currently, the program has 298,405 active beneficiaries with 179,990 females and 118,415 males as direct beneficiaries.
