Covid Relief: ‘Being Disabled Doesn’t Mean We are Naive’,Put Us on the List, NUDIPU Tells Govt

Last updated Jul 2, 2021

The National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU) calls on government to have persons with disabilities included on the list of those people who are going to benefit from the government cash hand out mobile money transfer due to start on 6th July 2021.

They say that among the seven identified categories of beneficiaries which are to benefit from this initiative the persons with disabilities don’t appear any where.

Now they say that most of them are left with barely nothing to survive on due to the lockdown,others are still unable to toil in order to earn a living due to the mobility challenges that have been exacerbated by the ban on public transport.

Chair person NUDIPU who also doubles as MP for the disabled in the 11th Parliament, Mpindi Bumali, while addressing media at their offices in Bukoto, Kampala, he wants government to consider an inclusive strategy to enable persons with disabilities access the government incentives during the 42 days of total lockdown.

Hon. Mpindi Bumali addressing media (photo courtesy)

“Consider an inclusive strategy to enable persons with disability access the government incertive during the 42 days of total lockdown this may include the issuing of vouchers since most of them don’t have mobile phones. These people with disability diseases that need medicine and the food to supplement the medicine daily. So the government need to consider them.”

He adds that many of their persons majorly depend on drugs so they call on government to bring their essential drugs close to their nearest health centers for easy access since public transport was put on halt.

“Government should allow these people with disability, to move especially using Boda Boda because they can’t move to distant placed especially markets and hospitals where they get food and medicine.”

The government through ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development outlined the list of categories of beneficiaries of Government Covid relief money of ome hundred thousand shillings per household.

However, they did not include the the category of people with disability and when asked about it, Minister Betty Amongi said that there are other ways people with disability can get government help rather than this covid relief initiative.