In a parliamentary session held on October 5, 2023, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja stated that the government is determined to provide financial support for the National Special Disability Grants Programme, ensuring its reach across the entire country.
The primary aim of this grant is to enhance the quality of life for People with Disabilities (PWDs) by allocating 5 million Ugandan Shillings to businesses operated by small PWD groups.
Responding to a query from Honorable Fortunate Nantongo, the Member of Parliament for Kyotera District, Nabbanja assured that there is a strong commitment to sustainably funding the program. She highlighted the consistent growth in budgetary allocations over the past five years as evidence of this commitment.
Nabbanja explained, “The program commenced with a budget of 2.1 billion Shillings in the 2019/2020 fiscal year, increased to 5 billion in 2020/2021, and then to 9 billion in 2021/2022. Currently, the fund stands at 16.6 billion Shillings.”
She also mentioned that since 2019, 22,606 PWD-run enterprises across all local governments have benefited from the grant. Furthermore, 13 billion Shillings have been earmarked for release in the next fiscal year, targeting 2,653 enterprises.
Nabbanja emphasized the existence of laws and regulations that support PWDs, such as the Buildings Control Act of 2013 and the Building Control Regulations of 2020 for PWDs. However, she noted that the challenge lies in enforcement.
In response to Nantongo’s inquiry, Nabbanja did not provide specific details about the coverage of all sub-counties but assured that the government is actively working towards ensuring that buildings become more accommodating for PWDs.
