5,000 PWDs to benefit from UGX 5B special interest grant

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | More than 5,000 persons living with disabilities are set to benefit from the National Special Interest grant. 

The State Minister for Disability and Elderly Affairs Sarah Kanyike says that the government has enhanced the National Special Grant to 5 Billion Shillings to benefit people living with disabilities. She adds that the money will be provided to 800 groups.

According to Kanyike, more than 100 groups have so far received funding while the rest of the groups are being scrutinized.   

Kanyike, said that the Ministry plans to continue supporting persons with disabilities to ensure that they go through the covid-19 pandemic. She says that the Ministry is conducting a social-economic study to understand the impact of the pandemic population especially in relations to employment and design interventions that will address the real needs of PWDs.   

But Alex Ndezi, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Gender and MP representing the PWDs in Central said that the special grant should be increased to 10 Billion Shillings. 

Meanwhile, the Leaders of the Persons with Disabilities have expressed disappointment in President Museveni who they said has failed to fulfill the pledges he has made to the PWDs in the country.   

Juma Mulesa, the Chairperson of the National Council for PWDs, said that the PWDs complain that given the overwhelming support, he has not looked into the issues he promises them.  

He said that the president promised to give motorcycles to leaders of PWDs at district level but he is yet to deliver on the promise.  

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics of 2014, the disability prevalence rate is 12.5% of the overall population, 49.26 are males and 50.74 are female.

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