NUDIPU urges government to fund child disability benefit without delay

3 July 2025, 12:47 pm

By Mosh Ddamba

The National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU), in partnership with the Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA), has urgently called upon the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Finance to allocate a supplementary budget for the Child Disability Benefit (CDB).

Speaking in press conference held at NUDIPU headquarters in Kampala, Esther Kyozira, Chief Executive Officer of NUDIPU, emphasised the need for government to urgently pass and fund the Child Disability Benefit, which disability rights advocates are actively championing. “The reason we are pushing for this grant is because the situation of children with disabilities across the country is dire,” Kyozira stated.

She further noted that the call comes at a critical moment, as public demand for equity in the national budget grows, and the rights and needs of children with disabilities can no longer be treated as an afterthought, but rather as a national priority.

According to the 2024 Uganda National Population and Housing Census, there are 460,805 children aged 2 to 17 living with disabilities, representing a disability prevalence of 2.4%. These children form one of the most vulnerable population groups in the country. Additionally, data from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development shows that children with disabilities and their families continue to experience extreme poverty and social exclusion.

Kyozira also highlighted the urgency of the matter, referencing a recent appeal by Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, who called on the government to commit at least UGX 12 billion toward this initiative. Tayebwa made these remarks at the National Child Disability Benefit High-Level Dialogue hosted by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala.

Speaking at the same press conference, Gloria Nakajubi, a representative from the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection (UPFSP), urged government to expand social protection programmes to include children with disabilities as a top priority, just as it has done for other vulnerable groups like senior citizens.

“You’ve all heard about the Senior Citizens Grant—we are saying, can we expand these initiatives to include children with disabilities? We understand the financial constraints, but we must start somewhere. The Child Disability Benefit is one such investment the government can make,” Nakajubi stated.

As the Advocacy and Communications Officer for UPFSP, Nakajubi further appealed to Parliament—particularly the Budget Committee and the Committee on Gender—to champion the cause in line with Uganda’s legal and international commitments, including the Persons with Disabilities Act (Chapter 115) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Representing the Umbrella Cerebral Palsy Network Association (UCPNA), Susan Sabano, a Programme Officer, spoke about the daily challenge’s children with cerebral palsy face particularly the lack of essential assistive devices such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, and communication tools.

“Children with cerebral palsy face numerous challenges, including difficulty in movement and communication due to the lack of proper equipment. These gadgets are extremely costly. We urge the government to allocate funding through the Child Disability Benefit to specifically cater for these needs,” Sabano said.

She further appealed to the Ministry of Health to establish a dedicated health programme to ensure access to consistent and specialised healthcare services for children with cerebral palsy and other disabilities.