Minister Amongi urges rethink of social protection financing

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The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development has expressed concern over the strain placed on social care services, citing limited resources as a major challenge in reaching and supporting vulnerable groups effectively.

As a result, the needs of many vulnerable communities across the country remain unmet due to the overwhelming pressure on available resources.

Minister Betty Amongi’s remarks were delivered by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Aggrey David Kibenge, during the International Conference on Social Work and Social Development held at Makerere University on June 16, 2025.

The conference brought together global practitioners, researchers and policymakers to share innovative solutions and best practices aimed at strengthening social welfare systems.

(L-R): Prof Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala, the Principal College of Humanities and Social Sciences with Aggrey Kibenge the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Gender, Professor Buyinza Mukadasi, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) Makerere University and Timothy Opobo, the Executive Director AfriChild Center during 2025 International Conference on Social Work and Social Development at Makerere University on 16th June 2025. (Photo by Nicholas Oneal)

Amongi noted that the resources allocated for social protection are inadequate to meet the diverse needs of all vulnerable groups.

“The resources are insufficient to cover all vulnerable groups, and this leads to unmet needs. A strong social system is necessary because it helps people carry out tasks they wouldn’t normally do,” she said.

The burden

Amongi highlighted that the current social service workforce ratio for vulnerable children in Uganda stands at 1 worker per 6,000 children, compared to the global standard of 1 to 200.

She further noted that social service workers operate only up to the sub-county level, leaving parishes and villages dependent on underfunded and inconsistent volunteers and para-social workers.

This has resulted in high caseloads, widespread unmet needs, and a rise in social ills.

“An estimated 588,700 practically productive hours have currently been lost due to the burden of social care. For instance, it is estimated that the youth constitute about 63% of the total population in prisons, about 57% of youth aged between 12 to 24 years engage in harmful use of alcohol and drugs, and the teenage pregnancy rate stands at 24 to 25%. A strong social care and support system is therefore important because it leads to empowerment of vulnerable groups,” she said.

Supporting social work

According to Amongi, a well-regulated social care and support system addresses the social determinants of health, such as poverty, social exclusion, poor nutrition and housing, hazardous living conditions, abuse and violence.

“Social care enables individuals to live normal lives and carry out tasks they otherwise wouldn't be able to, whether it is emotional, physical or social support, and it strengthens multisectoral linkages and coordination of services for those in need of care and support,” she said.

Amongi called on both the public and private sectors to collaborate with the government, particularly under the Resilient Project.

To her, this would be a perfect example of the impact of partnership and collective action in propelling social development.

“I urge you all to engage in meaningful dialogue, share your experiences and learn from each other. Together we can generate innovative solutions that are applicable to our unique context,” she said.

2025 social protection budget allocation

The government allocated sh404 billion to social protection programmes for the 2025/2026 financial year—an increase from sh172 billion in 2024/2025.

However, experts have criticised the increment.

“The sh404 billion announced by the finance minister isn’t exactly new, it’s more of a consolidation of existing programmes, like it was last year. For example, the Senior Citizens Grant is still stuck at sh121.3 billion, yet arrears of about sh20 billion have been piling up since 2020/2021. Plus, this doesn’t factor in over 30,000 older persons left out because of issues with their national ID data,” said Gloria Nakajubi, advocacy and communications lead at the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection.

Similarly, Benjamin Mukiibi, head of research and strategy at the Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA), urged the government to thoroughly assess each sector to ensure sufficient funding for effective service delivery.

“Sh400 billion sounds like a lot, but when you consider all the components packed into that—public service reforms, Ministry of Gender projects, regulators, pension schemes, skilling programmes—it’s really just a drop in the ocean,” Mukiibi stated.

‘Don’t overlook humanities’

Hellen Nambalirwa, principal of social work and social administration at Makerere University, stressed the often-overlooked role of humanities and social sciences in driving innovation and development.

She noted that although these disciplines are sometimes undervalued, they are essential because all innovation ultimately serves human needs.

“We are living in a time where humanities and social sciences are presented as though they do not contribute to global innovation and development. But I want to assure you that all the innovation and development you see happen for the human being,” she said.

She added that the ongoing conference highlighted inclusion and community resilience as key priorities for building communities that not only recover from crises like the COVID-19 pandemic but also emerge even stronger.

The three-day International Conference on Social Work and Social Development is being held under the theme: Advancing Resilient Communities for Sustainable Development.