95-yr-old man dies while still waiting for SAGE cash

A 95-year-old man, who had waited to get his Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) cash from the government for six years, has missed it after a severe bout of malaria claimed his life on Friday.

David Maganda, a resident of Butende-Buleri village in Kitayunjwa sub-county, Kamuli district, left behind his frail wife, Meere Nabirye, 87, who he laboured with in local's gardens to get daily meals.

The childless couple got married 60 years ago.

According to William Bagoone, the LC1 chairman, the deceased's legs got paralysed after a severe bout of malaria, confining him to his small house which doubled as the kitchen.

"The couple had no children, translating to poor care, medication, and food supply," Bagoone said.

Maganda has led a pauper's life for over 6 decades, tilling the land for survival before the SAGE program was introduced 6 years ago, but he was yet to benefit because his names had not featured on the beneficiaries' list, for three years now.

Born in Kitukiro village, Bugaya sub-county in Buyende district, Maganda and Nabirye moved places until they weakened and settled in Butende-Buleri.

They had to dig in locals' gardens to survive.

Bagoone said that in early 2016, Nabirye got sick and could no longer labour, leaving all the tasks to her husband.

He would dig from 06.45 am to 10.30 am and get cash or food like cassava, sweet potatoes, or maize to take home and cook for his wife.

Rogers Dhizala, the area publicity secretary, said that before Maganda weakened, he would complete sizeable portions and earn between sh5,000 and sh10,000 in two to three days.

Former employers speak out

Franco Kaisuka, one of Maganda's employers told mourners about the latter's agility and hard work. "He was a veteran in digging; we have lost a very hard working man."

Kaisuka added he was so honest that when he took money on credit, he endeavoured to pay back in exchange for labour.

Kolostika Nangobi, a resident, said that Maganda was a role model for the youth who demean petty jobs.   

The couple lived in the small house with 4 iron sheets, which doubled as the kitchen, where at times they slept on empty stomachs.

Elderly persons' plight

The Maganda's are part of the millions of the elderly persons wallowing in abject poverty and missing SAGE cash due to the delayed rollout of the program to the entire country.

Before his death, Maganda told New Vision that leaders betrayed him when they determined that he was not a resident of Kamuli district.

The ID particulars showed that he was from Kitukiro village in Buyende district and by the time he died, the players were processing his papers to shift the particulars so that Maganda benefits from the program.

The SAGE program, according to the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, is rated as one of the successful government programs, backed by good political and social will.

In Busoga, the project is thriving in Kamuli, Namayingo, Mayuge, and Bugiri with 835 beneficiaries and coverage of 1,003 elderly persons by the year 2017.

Samuel Masaba Wekesa, the gender ministry's acting director for social protection, said that the program which has been rolled out in over 50 districts, aims at covering over 250,000 beneficiaries nationwide by the close of 2021.