THE

OBJECTIVES:

 

 It is to develop the elderly of Africa, Uganda financially.

 

Secondly, it is to assist the needy and disabled.

 

Third, it is to humanely visit the sick and stressed.

 

Fourth it is to create financial projects for the needy to generate income for the elderly and young.

 

This organization has carried out such activities as:

Cake and bread baking.

 

Members have been involved in rural building construction and road making and repairs.

 

Members have been involved in decoration on functions.

 

Members have been involved in all means of assistance in burial ceremonies in the communities.

 

 

Ugandan workers are less educated and poorly paid:
 

Publish Date: 22 September, 2014

 

By Samuel Sanya

 

 

MOST working Ugandans are only educated up to secondary level, work for 10 years, six days a week and earn at least shillings 403/- per hour according to a wages survey.

 

In the wage indicator survey, released recently, 1,306 Ugandans from all administrative regions were interviewed by the Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE) in conjunction with Dutch and Tanzanian researchers.

 

Conservative estimates place Uganda’s working population at 17 million. The average working week of respondents is almost 60 hours and they work six days per week.

 

Slightly over half (51%) work evenings, seven of 10 workers report working on Saturdays, while four of 10 work on Sundays.

 

Nearly half of the workers in the sample were managers. Only two of 10 workers had a permanent contract, three of 10 were on fixed term contract while four of 10 workers said they are entitled to social security.

 

Despite the low numbers entitled to pensions, respondents indicated having four dependants on average. The analysis showed that 77% of the workers were paid on or above the poverty line of sh403 per hour or $1.25 (about sh3,000) per day.

 

Five percent of workers had no formal education, 14% studied to primary education 48% had secondary education certificates, 16% had a college education and 17% a university degree. Only 62% of informal workers are paid above the poverty line compared to 97% of the most formal workers.

 

Workers in trade, transport and hospitality are most at risk of poverty with 30% paid less than a dollar a day. Public servants are best paid. At least 92% earned above the poverty line.

 

Labour State minister Rukutana Mwesigwa recently revealed that Cabinet is considering creation of a wage board and a minimum wage.

 

The Government last set a minimum wage of sh6,000 in 1984. In 1975, the Minimum Wage Advisory Council recommended a sh75,000 minimum monthly wage. It remains on paper.

Why are the poor citizens of Uganda receiving money that is accounted for as a national pension for the elderly of this country?

 

By Joseph Kato

 

Posted  Tuesday, July 5   2016

 

The Senior Citizens Grant in Uganda is given to the elderly aged 65 and above to help them live decent livelihoods; however, in some districts, it is the young, energetic poor that are being given the money.

Over 110,000 persons aged 65 and above in 141 sub-counties, towns and 6,028 villages in 15 districts are beneficiaries of the Senior Citizens Grant (SCG) that was started in 2010. SCG is one of the essential modules of the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE), financed by government and development partners such as DFID and Irish Aid.

SCG is aimed at enhancing access to basic needs such as food security, better nutrition, health care and improving housing among others which is legal onus of the state to provide wellbeing and upkeep for the elderly.

David Lambert Tumwesigye, advocacy advisor at Expanding Social Protection (ESP) at the Ministry Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) calls upon the new MPs to join the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection (UPFSP) so that they can advocate care for the elderly.

What do MPs say?

Agnes Taka, Bugiri Woman MP, appreciates the services that have been offered to the elderly through SAGE. However, she calls upon the government to be open and involve grassroots leaders when selecting beneficiaries saying it will help to avoid issues of segregation.

“We need to know what criterion is followed when choosing SAGE beneficiaries. It is perturbing to learn about activities being done in your constituency from locals. Leaders need to be involved,” argues Taka.

She wonders why majority of the 15 districts where SAGE has been enrolled and the next 20 districts targeted to benefit from the programme are not from poverty stricken areas.

She asks her colleagues to push the government hard so that there can be transparency in the enrollment.

Rtd Lt Cyrus Amodoi, MP Tonoma County, Katakwi district, marvels at why the programme in some districts has been shifted from the elderly to the poorest people.

“What I have seen is that there is political interference in some parts where SAGE has been enrolled. In some places they target the poorest people instead of senior citizens,” says Amodoi.

In response to MPs queries, Drake Rukundo, Policy and Monitoring and Evaluation, UPFSP, says they have on ground people who gather information for the befitting citizens. He encourages the MPs to advocate countrywide enrollment for the elderly.

Rukundo says they want government to commit resources as a priority towards social protection to help the elderly live decent livelihoods because they are the bridge between the past and the future.

He applauds the 9th Parliament for being instrumental in ensuring the survival of the SAGE programme and extending it from 15 districts to additional 40 districts in the next five years.

In the FY 2015/16 Budget process, Parliament made a resolution where the SAGE programme was to be rolled out to the whole country covering 100 oldest persons in every sub-county.

Tumwesigye says the 10th parliament and the government did their work and it remains critical that all districts get covered for fairness and equitable development. The new MPs are expected to enlist to become members so that advocacy on social protection is boosted.

The forum undertakes to provide information and create spaces for engagement on issues touching social protection.

The cabinet passed the social protection policy which proposes a myriad of progressive interventions that if implemented will significantly contribute to the journey from third world to middle income status as envisaged in the Vision 2040.

However, even with the current roll-out plan, only a total of 55 districts will be reached leaving out 57 districts. To maximise pressure on government, the Forum has conducted regional consultative meetings that bring together Members of Parliament, District Chairpersons, District Community Development Officers and the civil society.

Reports from the Ministry

Reports from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development indicate that the senior citizens grant is increasing productive investment where 32 per cent of the beneficiaries use the money to buy livestock or engage in petty trading while 27 per cent of the beneficiaries invest their money in hiring additional labour to work in their gardens.

“At least 16 per cent of the beneficiaries save their month’s payment purposely to cover emergencies, 17 per cent use the gratuities to support productive investments, cultivation (15 per cent and meeting the educational needs of children and/or grandchildren taking 14 per cent,” reads the report on expanding social protection programme for senior citizens grant.

According to the report, majority of the senior citizens grant beneficiaries spend the large part of their transfers on food leading to increased frequency, quantity and quality of meals eaten by beneficiary households.

The report further shows that SCG beneficiaries especially women consistently report improved participation in community affairs, sense of self-esteem and empowerment. Older people report feeling less discriminated against in their communities and more valued by their families on account of their ability to make social contributions to community-based social support mechanisms which are based on reciprocity like contributing to funerals and weddings.

About SAGE

SAGE is a financial support programme for people aged 65 years and above. Currently, the programme is covering 15 districts. A total of 40 more districts have been lined up to benefit from SAGE by 2020.

In the 2015/16 budget, over Shs30b was expected for the national rollout where 100 persons per sub-county were to benefit but government committed Shs9 billion only.

jkato@ug.

nationmedia.com

 

Muha-kanizi on spot over Shillings 90b farmers' cash:

By Yasiin Mugerwa

Posted 29 September, 2014

 

 

The Secretary to the Treasury, Mr Keith Muhakanizi who kept calling himself “ born again Christian” was today pushed on the wall and forced to apologise for the “inefficiencies” in the running of a Shs 90 billion facility meant for helping the poor farmers access cheap credit.

The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee noted “gross inefficiencies, conflict of interest and lack of supervision of the funds” on the part of Bank of Uganda and Ministry of Finance. Because of lack of supervision, PAC Chairperson Ms Alice Alaso said, the money has gone to the well-off farmers at the expense of the poor farmers and written off more than Shs499 million in bad debts.

On December 3 2009, the Governor Bank of Uganda Prof Emmanuel Mutebile wrote to Ministry of Finance, saying that Bank of Uganda could not monitor the implementation and evaluation of the facility, citing conflict of interest however to date, Mr Muhakanizi had not taken action. The ST apologised for “inefficiency” saying “he is also human”.

The committee expressed concerns about the possible risk to the funds and ordered Muhakanizi to streamline the monitoring of the scheme within one month. Officials from BoU told the committee that they signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ministry of Finance and clearly STATED that monitoring of the agriculture 

credit facility will not be their mandate.

Mr Muhakanizi returns to PAC next week.

 

But The suffering goes on without any social welfare in this poor African country:

 

Nakasango nga asindika kitawe bagende okusabiriza ssente.

 

Taata Omusoga ava e Iganga ate nga mulema oluusi antuma okumugulira bamalaaya wano mu Kampala:

 

By Lawrence Kitatta

 

Added 21st September 2016

 

Nakasango anyumya bw’ati:

Nzuukuka ku makya ng’obudde tebunnakya ne tutegula ebikunta oluvannyuma taata bw’aba yeetewuulizzaako mu kaveera nkakwata ne nkasuula mu kipipa kya Kcca ekiri e busukkakkubo. kyokka oluguudo ndusala mmagamaga emmotoka zireme kunkoona.

Bwe tuba twasuze n’amazzi tunaabako mu maaso era tunywako oluusi ne njolekera Kiswa gye nsoma mu P1.

Taata eyandibadde ampa ssente za bodaboda okuntwala ku ssomero ate nze mba nnina okumusindika ku kagaali nga tuva e Lugogo we tusula ku mulyango gwa GTZ.

Olumu ku ssomero anzigyayo ssaawa 4:00 ne tugenda ku kkubo gye tusabiriza. Olumu nsoma naye olulala nnemererwa.

Olusoma oluwedde nakola ebibuuzo era okuva olwo saaddayo kusoma. Buli lunaku tuzunga ekibuga kumpi okukimalako ne mpulira nga n’obugere bunfuuyirira.

Kasango ng’azingako akaveera akakola nga bulangiti e Lugogo okumpi ne siteegi ya New Vision, we basula ate Nakasango nga yeetereza batandike olugendo lw’okubuna ekibuga nga basabiriza.

 

Naye taata bw’atuuka ku kaserengeto olwo ng’anteeka mu maaso ng’akagaali kayiringita. Taata yangamba nti maama wange ye Nasim Namulondo abeera Iganga era gye yanzigya okundeeta e Kampala okutandika okusabiriza ku luguudo.

Enkuba bw’etonnya mu budde obw’ekiro olwo ne tuyimirira ku lubalaza we tusula olumu n’okutukuba etukuba naddala ng’erimu kibuyaga.

Obudde buli lwe buziba mba mu kweraliikirira. Taata oyo talina nsonyi antuma okumuyitira bamalaaya ekiro!

Omanyi bwe tuba twebase nsula ku ludda kw’assa ebigere wabula olumu ngenda okusisimuka nga mpulira anninnya mu maaso, ngenda okulaba nga mukazi.

Olumu mpulira n’amaloboozi ekiro naye nga sirina kyakukola. Bw’aleeta bamalaaya nga sinneebaka olwo nsituka busitusi ne ntuula ku kkubo mu kayumba ka siteegi ya New Vision okutuusa lwe bamaliriza naye ate olumu nneekanga nsuze awo. Olumu antuma e Nakawa ngule sooda.

Wano nga beetegeka okugenda.

 

TAATA YANZIBA AWAKA

Bwe yali yaakandeeta okunzigya mu kyalo ng’annyambaza nnyo engoye z’abalenzi nga tayagala bamulaba kumanya nti ndi muwala naye kati nange nnyambala ngoye z’abawala.

Nzijukira nali mbeera ne maama wange ne jjajja, twali tuzannya ne baganda bange be twabeeranga nabo awaka, abakulu tebaaliwo kw’olwo taata yajja awaka n’anzibawo n’antwala ewa jjajja omulala.

Ono kirabika ye maama we amuzaala wabula nga naye saamwetegereza bulungi era simumanyi. Taata bwe yawulira nti gye yanzigya baali batandise okunnoonya kwe kunzigyayo n’andeeta e Kampala.

Kye nzijukira twatuuka kiro era ekkubo eryatuleeta sirimanyi naye angamba nti ewaffe Iganga we wali ekyalo kyaffe.

Wabula okuva lwe natandika okubeera ne taata embeera tebeerangako nnyangu kuba ennaku ezisinga tusiibirira capati n’amazzi emmere tugirya lumu na lumu ate tugirya Kataza Bugoloobi kuba we wali eya layisi gy’asobola okugula.

Eno ku 1500/- tufuna ebijanjaalo n’akawunga ate ennyama ya 3,000/- naye ennyama emirundi gye nnaakagiryako mbala mibale ate essowaani tugigabana.

 

Mu Uganda eye nnaku zino, Ow'emyaka 76 asattira lwakutwalibwaako  ettakalye

By Peter Ssaava

 

Added 4th August 2019

 

 

Namatovu ng'ala ebiwandiiko

 

NNAMWANDU Rovinsa Namatovu, 76 omutuuze we Nagojje mu Mukono ali mu kusattira oluvannyuma lwa muwala we okutunda ennyumba bba gye yaleka amuzimbidde ng’akolagana ne bulooka w’ettaka.

 

Namatovu yategezezza nti muwala we Annet Nansubuga yekobaana ne bulooka William Kavuma ne batunda ennyumba era emisango gino yagitwala mu kkooti natayambibwa kati emyaka 10 ng’aguluba nagyo.

Agamba ennyumba kweri ettaka liwezaako yiika 10 wabula muwala we ne bulooka baalyeddiza nga kati asula mu bifulukwa ng’ate ebiwandiiko ebyaaligula mu 1996.

 

Yasinzidde mu mudaala gwa Bukedde ogwaabadde ku kisaawe kya Mehta e Lugazi mu Buikwe kampuni ya Vision Group bwe yakwataganye ne Democratic Governance Facility okumanyisa abantu ku mateeka.

Nb

Abanunuzi ba Uganda bano balabika bajja kununula bavubuka abaali tebanaba nakuzaalibwa mu mwaka gwa 1986.

 

Obuzibu buno bwongera okulaga essiga eddamuzi bweritalina kisa nakamu mukusala emisango mubwenkanya wano mu Uganda. Musango munene nyo omwaana omukulu akyesobola ate nasikako maamawe ekifo wawumulizza obulamu bwe obunafu enyo. Abalamuzi abateekwa okusala emisango mubwenkanya ate nebatunula eri ebbali nebaleka nga omutuuze ono omukadde abonabona bwati. Wano wewebuliza abanunula abantu ba Uganda banunula baani abo?

 

 

 

 

 

In Uganda, the National Social Security Fund is paying out  Shs 360b in benefits to those who can afford to invest in this fund:

 

 

NSSF has been pushing its regional reach by investing in office space in different locations with the most recent being Jinja Town. FILE PHOTO 

By Eronie Kamukama

National Social Security Fund (NSSF) paid out Shs360b as benefits to members in the 2017/18 financial year, a 29 per cent increase from the Shs278b paid out in the same period last year.
This is an indication of an improved payout system that has seen contributors give the Fund positive response in the last five years.

This was revealed during a media roundtable where the Fund released its performance for the 2017/18 financial year.
NSSF, according to results released yesterday, for the first time hit Shs1.6 trillion in revenue up from Shs912b posted last year.

This was mainly attributed to growth in interest income and regional equity markets.
“This was largely driven by the strong recovery of the equity market mostly in Uganda and Kenya and the foreign currency gains because of the depreciating Ugandan shilling, but also the interest we earned from our fixed income investments,” Mr Richard Byarugaba, the NSSF managing director, said.

In Uganda, NSSF has its investments in Umeme, Housing Finance Bank, Uganda Clays Limited and Serena Hotel.
Because of the big movement in revenue, total assets under management grew 26 per cent to hit Shs9.98 trillion from Shs7.92 trillion the previous financial year.

Investments
The Fund’s assets are mainly invested in fixed income investments, private equity and real estate.
The fund ended the year with its fixed income assets at 75 per cent, equity at 18.09 per cent and real estate at 6.53 per cent.

This was from 77 per cent, 16 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively the previous year.
According to Mr Byarugaba, in regard to the Fund’s strategic asset allocation, it was able to reduce its exposure to fixed income because interest rates were coming down whereas it increased its exposure to equity because the stock markets were doing well.

Exposure to real estate was slightly down because the Fund does not want to have a lot of properties on the market when demand is insufficient.

NSSF’s desired target is to have 70 per cent of its assets allocated to fixed income assets, 25 per cent to businesses (equity) and 5 per cent to real estate. Now with 2.2 million members, contributions recorded a 14 per cent growth to Shs1.05 trillion for the financial year 2017/18 compared to Shs917b the previous financial year.

Most of this was a result of improved compliance levels which for three months increased to 81 per cent.
The Fund also saw a rise in new members from small and medium enterprises and voluntary contributions.

The Fund will pay members an interest rate of 2 per cent above the 10 year inflation which stands at 7.3 per cent.
“We hope that the return that the minister will announce on August 28 during the annual members meeting will be 2 percentage points above the 7.3 per cent. At least we guarantee that we will give you 9.3 per cent,” Mr Byarugaba said.

REQUIRED DISCIPLINE
According to Mr Richard Byarugaba, the Fund has not only grown more efficient in the way it does business, it has maintained the required discipline to ensure high levels of productivity at the lowest cost possible. “This is a commitment we made and we will continue to focus on creating value for our members at a low cost,” he says.
The growth, he said, has been boosted by a rebound in economic growth that currently stood at 5.8 per cent in the 2017/18 financial year down from 3.9 per cent the previous year.

 

 

 

 

 

 
Three former public service officials accused of irregularly and fraudulently budgeting Shs 88.2bn as NSSF contributions by government employees for personal benefit should be acquitted, say court assessors. 


The two assessors; Vincent Ferrer and Stanley Kurung, in their joint layman's opinion, advised Anti-Corruption court presided over by justice Lawrence Gidudu that the prosecution has failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Officials, including former permanent secretary Jimmy Lwamafa, Christopher Obey, the former principal accountant and Stephen Kiwanuka Kunsa, the former director Research and Development are charged with causing financial loss, abuse of office, diversion of funds and conspiracy to defraud the state.

The charges stem from the infamous pension scam in which they reportedly connived in the irregular budgeting of Shs 88.2bn as social security contributions, well knowing that civil servants don't contribute to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). The money in question ended up being paid to 'ghost' recipients.

The suspects (L-R) Christopher Obey, Kiwanuka Kunsa and Jimmy Lwamafa

Assessor Ferrer who read out the joint opinion on behalf of his colleague, submitted that the suspects never budgeted for the NSSF item and that it was introduced in the payment system by a one Josses Tegyeza and not the suspects.

The other piece of evidence that the court assessors based on was the testimony of former acting permanent secretary in the public service ministry Adah Muwanga, who told court that once there was a query in the payment schedules in a given financial year, then there won't be any release of funds in the following financial year.

They further argued that since in the following FY 2011/12, money was released by the finance ministry, it meant that there were no queries in the previous financial year.

The two assessors also quoted the evidence of the suspects when they denied ever budgeting for NSSF item in the two financial years and that what they budgeted for was pension and gratuity.

The assessors also pointed out the other piece of evidence on court record that the money was wired to Cairo bank and that if there was any fraud, then it would have been in the bank and there is no way the suspects are linked to it.

Their advice to court is however not binding to the judge. The suspects were further remanded to Luzira prison until November 11 when the judge will determine their fate.