83-year-old former teacher rejects SAGE money

As elderly persons yearn to benefit from Government's Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) money, an 83-year-old man in Busoga sub-region has rejected the money.

Alipakusadi Mugoya, a retired primary school teacher and resident of Muterere central village in Muterere town board, Bugiri district, shocked officials from the labour ministry when he rejected sh75,000, which they had delivered to him.

This was during a ‘house enrolment exercise' on Wednesday ( October 7, 2020) when officials and area community development officers (CDOs) from different entities traversed villages looking for all the elderly persons who had been identified in January upon clocking 80 years, a prerequisite to be enrolled into the scheme.

David Ssettumba, an official in charge of IT at the labour ministry, said Mugoya one of the 30 new senior citizens in Bugiri who had attained the mandatory age needed to start receiving the SAGE money.

The 30 elderly persons were supposed to go to their respective sub-counties in August but they did not show up.

As a result, the ministry teamed up with their respective CDOs to reach out to them purposely to take their photographs and other details as well as handing them their money which had accumulated to sh75,000.

"I do not want my name and picture to be used in the US to portray me as a beggar. I do not want your money," Mugoya said.

When officials briefed him about the purpose of their visit, Mugoya rejected the money right away, saying he would not allow Government to use his picture as a ploy to keep soliciting funds from donors.

"I do not want my name and picture to be used in the US to portray me as a beggar. I do not want your money," Mugoya said.

Ssettumba said Mugoya became the first person to reject the money.

"We do not force people into the programme but we have asked our CDOs convince him to change his mind and explain to him how the project works," Ssettumba said.

In case he maintains his stance, Ssettumba said Mugoya would be required to commit himself by signing a rejection form for record purposes.