Uganda: Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) expansion stalls over Shs252 billion funding gap

Uganda's government has delayed plans to extend the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) to older persons aged 65 due to a funding gap of Shs252 billion. Minister of State for Gender (Older Persons), Jaqueline Mbabazi, revealed this during a plenary sitting chaired by Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth. Although Cabinet approved lowering the SAGE eligibility age from 80 to 65, the requisite funding has not been provided in the 2026/2027 national budget. Mbabazi stated that the expansion cannot take effect without the required funding, delaying implementation.

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