Parliament Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has implored the government and other stakeholders to restore the spirit of humanity (Ubuntu) among Ugandans as a means of strengthening social protection for especially the elderly.
Tayebwa, while officiating at the Social Protection National Dialogue 2025 in Kampala on October 29, said that the ongoing government support of Senior Citizens Grant (SAGE) to the elderly will make more sense when Ugandans value and support each other.
‘The family structure and communities are no longer as we once knew them; especially where communities used to offer support to those who need it,’ he observed.
He added: ‘We must strengthen social protection systems that secure the well-being of all Ugandans who need them.’
The dialogue was held under the theme ‘Enhancing Access to Social Protection for Inclusive Socio-Economic Transformation,’ aimed at discussing mechanisms through which the elderly and other vulnerable groups of people like Persons Living with Disabilities can be supported so that they are productive to the economy.
‘Government continues to allocate funds to several livelihood initiatives such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP), and Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP), among others, which empower individuals and create resilient communities in the face of shocks. In addition, the Cabinet has approved a proposal to lower the age of eligibility for the Senior Citizens Grant from 80 years to 65 years,’ he said.
He noted that Parliament will allocate Shs15 billion to activate the National Child Disability Benefit so that parents with such children can, in addition to other benefits, hire people to take care of them and they are productive.
‘I urged the participants to be intentional because many times, they meet and have great conversations but fail to translate them into action,’ he said.
Gidudu Mafwabi, the Minister of State for the Elderly, said the government has established mechanisms to support older citizens. This has led to the rollout of the SAGE program across all 176 local governments, currently reaching over 306,759 people aged 80 and above, with a total of Shs727 billion disbursed in grants.
‘When people are protected from risks such as old age, illness, disability, unemployment, or shocks they can plan, work, invest in their future, educate their children, and contribute to national development,’ he said.
The Ugandan government is revising the National Social Protection Policy to take into consideration emerging issues like climate change, food security and nutrition, gender and inequality, effects of globalization including new forms of employment, economic disparities and refugees.
‘In spite of this progress, we still face challenges. Coverage remains low compared to the size and nature of vulnerabilities. The population covered by at least one social protection benefit stands at 4 percent which is far below the African average which stands at 17.8 percent,’ he concluded.
‘Additionally, many informal sector workers, who constitute majority of Uganda’s workforce, still remain outside formal social protection mechanisms, and only about 3 percent of Uganda’s 46 million population have access to health insurance.’