Kazo: SAGE beneficiaries challenged by Long distance to access payment.
By Racheal Nuwahereza
The Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) beneficiaries from Kazo town council and Kazo Sub-county have this Wednesday received their payment at centenary bank cash point held at St. Johns church of Uganda in Kazo district.
A section of the beneficiaries have raised complaints about the pick-up point for this money being far away from their homes; adding that it is unfair to ask them to travel long distances of more than 3 kilometers to access payment.
The beneficiaries who were initially receiving UGX 25,000 per month but have this Wednesday received UGX 150,000 for three months.
The beneficiaries also argued that because of increased fuel prices, their transport costs are extremely high nowadays and higher than the money they receive.
They have appealed to the government to bring this service of payments to their villages and parishes.
Mugisha Benjamin, the councilor representing Kazo sub-county elders who doubles as the chairman elders Kazo also expressed his dissatisfaction about the long queues and the slow system used to give out money yet the people are too old.
Mugisha added that the beneficiaries were subjected to travelling long distances, high costs of transport and moving on boda bodas.
Dan Bwamunyoga, the district speaker Kazo thanked the government for giving the elderly people upkeep.
Bwamunyoga also observed that the beneficiaries faced the challenge of travelling long distances to get the money.
He promised that authorities from the district will write to Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social development to consider paying the elders from their villages or parishes.
In June 2015, the Ministry of Gender, Labour & Social Development made a decision to reach the vulnerable and often excluded sections of the population to achieve inclusive pro-poor, and equitable development.
In Uganda, Senior Citizens were the first target group through a Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) Scheme targeting older persons of 65 years and above under the Expanding Social Protection Programme.
This was aimed at enabling them to access basic services, and to start income generating activities.
Story by Paddy Byaruhanga
