300 elderly persons in Namutumba miss out on funds

About 300 elderly persons in Namutumba District have missed out on social assistance grants for empowerment (SAGE) funds for lacking bank accounts.

Each of the beneficiaries was entitled to Shs150,000 which was being payment for six-month arrears.

Mr Eric Kasiko, the district probation officer, said every beneficiary must possess an account in Centenary Bank.

“Money is paid on condition that one has a bank account,” he told a gathering at Magada Sub-county headquarters at the weekend, triggering protests from the beneficiaries.

The residents said they were not informed about owning bank accounts and demanded to know whether after opening up accounts in the bank makes them civil servants.
Mr Stephen Bukenya, a resident of Buwidi Village, Kiwanyi Sub-county, said he was against the bank officials’ ‘plan’ to deduct Shs10,000 from each of them for opening up an account.
“Some of us have never gone to the bank; why tell us to open up accounts before giving us money?” he asked.
Mr Jaffary Mugoya, another elderly person and resident of Izirangobi Village, said many elderly people do not know how to read and write.

“We want President Museveni to come with alternative means of paying us,” he said, adding that asking them to open bank accounts is denying them their right to benefit from government programmes.