260 SAGE beneficiaries have died in Kyankwanzi

KYANKWANZI - Up to 264 elderly people who benefited from the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) programme have died in the last two years in Kyankwanzi district.

 

Medard Ndinawe, the district project technical officer said since the programme’s inception early 2012, 162 and 102 male and female beneficiaries, respectively, have passed on.

 

SAGE is a cash transfer programme specifically targeted at labour-constrained individuals and households.  To be more specific, it targets people who are highly vulnerable to poverty because they of their inability to engage in productive activity.

 

Kyankwanzi district is among 14 districts that are currently piloting the five-year social protection programme.

 

It supports the elderly who are entitled to a monthly stipend of sh25, 000 that helps them meet basic needs.

 

The highest number of deaths of these beneficiaries has been reported in Butemba with 84 cases, followed by Nkandwa with 32 and Kyankwanzi at 30.

 

Similar reported deaths in the other district areas stand as follows: Wattuba (29), Nsambya (19), Gayaza (13), Ntwetwe-Kitabona (12), Mulagi (11), Gayaza (13), Bananywa (11), Butemba town council (10) and Ntwetwe town council (11).

 

“A death register was opened up at the district SAGE office to track all deaths, and because of this over 128 transitional grants have been paid, said Ndinawe.

 

He attributed the deaths to the fact that by the time the programme was initiated, some of the beneficiaries were already weak. Others, he said, died of old age.

 

However his explanation on the cause of the death could not be backed by official medical reports.

 

Deo Kasumba, Kyankwanzi deputy chief administrative officer said the deaths were “sad news”.

 

He was speaking during the launch of the programme’s Stakeholders’ Charter at the district headquarters.

 

He maintained though that SAGE has saved the lives of many older persons who could have since died without the programme’s existence.

 

Kasumba said: “Kyankwanzi district has a total of 5,605 beneficiaries as of this quarter, which means the livelihoods of these senior citizens and their households have improved. I appeal to government to prioritize this programme and increase the monthly transfers to recognize the role played by these people to build the nation.”

 

Malulose Kalirunga, 79, who is a beneficiary from Butemba town council, confessed that he could have died if it was not SAGE.

 

“I couldn’t manage to buy tablets for the backache that tormented me all the time and I had given up but with the SAGE money I can now buy the medicine and my life has improved,” he said.

 

Eighty-year-old Bulandina Nalumansi who represented the SAGE beneficiaries in the district at the launch of the charter, said the older persons were grateful for the programme.

 

“Because of SAGE, I can now manage to buy milk and meat which are my favorite and use the balance to buy scholastic materials for my grandchildren.”

 

Kyankwanzi district deputy LC5 chairperson, Ronald Makanga, officiated as the chief guest at the launch of the charter.

 

He said most of the beneficiaries now have income security through stocking of animals such as goats, pigs and chicken of which all can easily be liquidated into cash.