A number of organisations representing persons with disabilities have called upon the government to expand social protection interventions by adding a National Child Disability Benefit.
They asserted, “The current social protection interventions are not only limited in scope but also lacking in addressing the specific needs of PWDs, especially children.”
A joint statement read by Gloria Nakajubi, the advocacy and communications lead at the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection (UPFSP) Secretariat in Nakasero, Kampala, on December 2, 2025 proposed a monthly payout of Shs 100,000 per disabled child below the age of 18 to families raising them.
This would amount to Shs 234.8 billion annually, a figure not difficult to fit in the national budget if there is concerned prioritisation. This grant would ameliorate the heavy financial and social burdens these households face and boost the national economy.
This benefit should go to all children regardless the type of their disability, the identification mechanism should be at the parish level, a database of registered beneficiaries should be established, and identity cards be issued for accessing the child disability benefit and other related services.
This was at a media briefing on the eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The day was commemorated in Mubende district under the theme, ‘Wealth creation programmes: A key to socio-economic empowerment of persons with disabilities’.
Nakajubi contended that social protection is a human right according to the Constitution of Uganda and various international conventions that Uganda is a signatory to. It also strengthens the social contract between leaders and their charges.
She urged parents to register all their children with the National Identification and Registration Authority (Nira) so that they do not miss such services. Joel Kawanguzi, a short person from Namutumba district and programme coordinator at Foundation of Persons Affected by Dwarfism Uganda, advised persons with disability against self- discrimination, isolation and self-pity.
He called upon candidates in the ongoing political season to prioritise disability issues in their manifestos and to use appropriate language regarding persons with disabilities since they too are voters that deserve inclusion and respect.
The statement argued that the proposed National Child Disability Benefit would support families to meet the needs of children with disabilities, enable better access to rehabilitation and education for such children, and support their caregivers to engage in income-generating activities.
It also hailed the government’s September 22, 2025 decision to lower the age of eligibility for Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) from 80 to 65 and raise the monthly payout from Shs 25,000 to Shs 35,000.
The media briefing was organized by UPFSP, National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU), Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Persons with Disabilities, Foundation of Persons Affected by Dwarfism Uganda (FPAD-U), and Uganda National Action on Physical Disability, Research and Action for Income Security (RAISE), among others.
About the Author
