Flavia Kabahenda (DWR Kyegegwa) is chairperson Parliament’s Committee of Gender, Labour and Social Development
Uganda Parliamentary Forum on social protection has decried the budget cuts on Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE)
and has asked the government to allocate Shs121 billion in the 2023/24 FY to facilitate older persons .
The chairperson of the forum, Flavia Kabahenda says that in the next financial year they require Shs121 billion to support 306,516 older persons who are 80 years and above, but only Shs24 billion has been provided which she says represents 20 percent.
Government under the senior Citizen Grant known as SAGE gives older persons who are 80 years and above a Shs25,000 monthly stipend to ease their life.
Kabahenda now wants the president and ministry of finance to ensure the program is fully funded.
MPs want the funds to be increased from Shs25,000 to Shs30,000.
The Bugabula South MP, Maurice Kibalya urged the president and members of parliament especially those representing older to come out and ensure that the money for older persons is allocated in the budget.
The advocacy advisor of the forum Jacob Opolot says that the stipulated funding in the national budget framework paper shows that the country is not willing to fund the continuity of older persons.
