Raise SAGE cash to Shs100,000 – elderly

Elders in West Nile Sub-region have demanded for an increment of the money they get under the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) programme from the current Shs25,000 to Shs100,000.

This, they said, is necessary citing rising commodity prices.

The elders made the demand while meeting a team from Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection led by Kyegegwa Woman MP Flavia Kabahenda, in the districts of Koboko and Terego at the weekend.

 They expressed their appreciation for the grant but called for lowering of the age cap from the current 80 years.

Mr Ramathan Sebi Lobio, 88, a resident of Geregi B Village in Lobule Sub-county, Koboko District, said while the money had enabled him to be self-reliant, there is a need for certain changes.

“This money is really too little, I would request that it be increased to at least Shs100,000 per month. We also want our next of kin to receive it in case we are unable to go to the distribution points because sometimes we are too sick and weak to move when they bring the money,” Mr Sebi said.

Mr Manason Ibrahim, a resident of Bileafe Sub-county in Terego District, said the money had enabled them to live a dignified life although some timed the fund  comes late.

“The government should ensure our arrears of three months [delayed] while transitioning from Post Bank to Centenary Bank since 2021 is paid,’’ he said.

The MP for Terego West constituency, Mr Joel Leku, argued that affirmative action is needed for social protection in areas that have been zoned by the government as poor regions.

“We survive on hard labour, you are born in a poor family, and you grow up when you are poor, that means the only way of survival is hard labour. At the age of 60, you are already too old and unable to work and meet your basic needs. There must be affirmative action on these programmes like SAGE,” Mr Leku said.

Ms Kabahenda said they had discovered that a good number of older persons who qualify for the scheme don’t have national identity cards while those who had them had discrepancies, which could either be corrected by the National Identification and Registration Authority or magistrates by swearing affidavits.

Ms Rose Obiga, the Woman MP for Terego, said the findings would be presented to the parliamentary Committee on Gender for policy action.

The programme

       The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development indicates that Uganda’s social protection only reaches 6.5 percent of its population, but people living in abject poverty are 39 percent; only 0.7 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product is reserved for social protection.

The government introduced the SAGE programme in 2013, targeting older persons above 65 years by then and they have been entitled to get Shs25,000 per month.

    However, the beneficiary age was later increased to 80 years when the programme was rolled out to other districts.