Shs400m for elderly upkeep goes missing

Kole DPC, Mr Gerald Isabirye, addresses victims of the alleged embezzlement of SAGE scheme funds at Okole Primary School in Kole Town Council on Tuesday.
PHOTO BY BILL OKETCH.

What you need to know:

The beneficiaries allege that their money was withdrawn from their individual accounts from the MTN payment centre in Lira last December.

Kole

More than 8,000 elderly persons in Kole District are in tears after failing to receive their monthly stipend under the government’s Social Assistant Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) programme for the aged, it emerged during their meeting at Okole Primary School on Tuesday.

Suspicion is running high that the monthly package for the elderly totalling Shs400 million could have been stolen by some officials in the district’s SAGE department last December.

Elderly persons from Kole Town council, Ayer and Alito sub-counties were all supposed to receive their four months’ arrears but instead a few of them were given arrears for only two months. The rest did not receive any money.

Each elderly is given Shs75,000 monthly to help them meet basic needs since most of them have poor health and cannot fend for themselves.

The elderly reported their case to Kole Central Police Station in December. Police has since recovered at least 160 payment cards from SAGE officials to help in the investigations.

Ms Florence Akello, a widow, said the money has been helping her support her family of orphans but she is now in dilemma of how she will cope without any income. “My plans were to start up a poultry project to support the education of my four grandchildren who are also orphans,” Ms Akello said.

The district police commander, Mr Gerald Isabirye, said the accused officials had been suspended pending completion of investigations into the allegations against them. “A number of victims and some officials in the SAGE department have already recorded statements,” Mr Isabirye said.

Those suspended are SAGE technical officer, Monitoring and Evaluation officer and the system information officer.

The Kole Resident District Commissioner, Mr Oyaa N. Owua, said he was aware of the complaint about the alleged theft of money for the elderly and added that the suspects would be prosecuted after completion of the investigations. “As government we are going to deal with them. The beneficiaries should remain patient and calm as the matter is being addressed,” he said.