A section of the elderly have in the recent past complained about the amount of money they receive under the Special Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) programme.
Now government has heard their cries and plans to raise their pay by Shs 25,000. This means they shall now be earning Shs 50,000 from the current Shs 25,000.
The SAGE program started in 2010 with a pilot covering 15 districts and extended to 20 districts targeting 100 elderly people per sub county. However the number of beneficiaries has gradually increased. Currently the programme targets those that are 75 years and older without any source of income. This excludes retired civil servants who are on pension.
Stephen Byaruhanga, the publicity secretary for the elderly in the central region said the government needs to increase the money from 25,000.
"That is just peanuts that is given to us. How i wish they can increase the amount to like 50,000 because we also have dependents" Byaruhanga said.
Stephen Kasaija, the head of the SAGE program management Unit in the ministry of Gender said the plans are underway to increase the money for the elderly.
"We made that amount just for sometime but we are going to either increase the amount given to the elderly or lower the age bracket to those 60 years and older" Kasaija said.
Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura cast doubt on the future of the programme.
"Why would an elder person stand under the sun for only Shs 25,000 for God's sake. I don't see any progress since some of the funders pulled back," Nyanjura said.
