Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1000 EAT on Monday 29 December 2025

Several organisations representing persons with disabilities have urged the government to broaden social protection programmes by introducing a National Child Disability Benefit.
The groups argue that existing social protection interventions are limited in scope and fail to adequately address the specific needs of persons with disabilities, particularly children.

“The current social protection interventions are not only limited in scope but also fall short of addressing the specific needs of PWDs, especially children,” the organisations said.
The call was made in a joint statement read by Gloria Nakajubi, the advocacy and communications lead at the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection (UPFSP) Secretariat, during an engagement held in Nakasero, Kampala, on December 2, 2025.

The statement proposes a monthly grant of Shs100,000 for each child with a disability under the age of 18, to be paid to families and caregivers responsible for their upbringing.

The proposed programme would cost an estimated Shs234.8 billion annually, a figure the organisations say could be accommodated within the national budget with deliberate prioritisation. They argue that the grant would ease the significant financial and social burdens borne by affected households while also contributing to broader economic growth.

The organisations further recommended that the benefit be extended to all children with disabilities, regardless of the type of disability. They proposed that beneficiary identification be conducted at the parish level, supported by the establishment of a centralised database of registered beneficiaries, and the issuance of identity cards to facilitate access to the child disability benefit and related services.

The remarks were made during a media briefing held on the eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This year’s commemoration took place in Mubende District under the theme, “Wealth creation programmes: A key to socio-economic empowerment of persons with disabilities.”

Ms Nakajubi said social protection is a fundamental human right enshrined in the Constitution of Uganda and reinforced by various international conventions to which the country is a signatory. She added that such interventions also strengthen the social contract between leaders and the citizens they serve.
She urged parents and guardians to register all children with the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) to ensure they are able to access government services.

Meanwhile, Joel Kawanguzi, a person of short stature from Namutumba District and programme coordinator at the Foundation of Persons Affected by Dwarfism Uganda, cautioned persons with disabilities against self-discrimination, isolation and self-pity, encouraging them to actively engage in community and development initiatives.

He urged candidates in the ongoing political season to prioritise disability-related issues in their manifestos and to use respectful and appropriate language when referring to persons with disabilities, noting that they are voters who deserve inclusion and dignity.

The statement further argued that the proposed National Child Disability Benefit would help families meet the specific needs of children with disabilities, improve access to rehabilitation and education, and enable caregivers to participate more effectively in income-generating activities.

The organisations also welcomed the government’s decision of September 22, 2025, to lower the eligibility age for the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) programme from 80 to 65 years, and to increase the monthly grant from Shs25,000 to Shs35,000.

The media briefing was organised by the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection (UPFSP) in partnership with the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU), the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Persons with Disabilities, the Foundation of Persons Affected by Dwarfism Uganda (FPAD-U), Uganda National Action on Physical Disability, and Research and Action for Income Security (RAISE), among other organisations. —The Observer

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