Hajat Tatu Nakazzi, 91years a resident of Kangulumira, Kayunga district is one happy SAGE beneficiary.
She is grateful to Government for implementing the SAGE Programme in Kayunga district. Nakazzi has so far received 1.4m from the Senior Citizens Grant since 2015.
The Minister of State for Disability and Elderly in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Hon. Sarah Kanyike has disclosed that SAGE beneficiaries in Kayunga district have so far received 1.799billion since FY 2015/16, when the Programme was first implemented in the district.
Currently, over 2800 older persons in the district are active beneficiaries. Kanyike revealed this while on a programme monitoring field visit in the district on Wednesday 16th December 2020.
She thanked the district leadership for implementing the Programme and urged local leaders to support older persons to register with NIRA and attain the national identification.
“The national ID is now a requirement for one to be enrolled onto the Programme. In fact, even older persons who were enrolled during the pilot phase without the national ID are now required to have their national ID details captured by the Programme.
The SAGE Programme is therefore currently migrating such older persons to the national ID based enrolment” Kanyike said. She revealed that the Ministry, with support from Development Partners, had procured computers which will be distributed to all districts to strengthen district Management Information systems.
On lowering of eligibility age from 80 years and above, Kanyike said that Government was looking into the matter and a solution would be reached, at an appropriate time.
Older persons registered on the Programme receive a monthly stipend of UGX. 25000, to improve their wellbeing.
A total of 304,155 have so far benefited from the Grant, nationally.
