President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on older Ugandans to adopt modern methods of wealth preservation, warning against fragmenting family assets as they seek to distribute property among their children.
Museveni made the remarks on Thursday, October 1, 2026, while officiating at Uganda’s national celebrations to mark the International Day of Older Persons at State House, Entebbe.
The President said many elderly people risk losing the wealth they have accumulated over their lifetime by dividing it among their children, instead of using mechanisms that can preserve family assets across generations.
He encouraged older persons to consider shareholding and other modern inheritance arrangements that allow wealth to remain intact while benefiting family members.
“Many older people start fragmenting their wealth to distribute it to their children instead of using modern inheritance methods such as shareholding,” Museveni said in an update following the event.
The President said the government’s objective is to ensure that elderly Ugandans who have accumulated wealth are able to preserve it, while those without sufficient assets are supported to acquire wealth through government programmes.
Museveni promises elderly-focused PDM programme
Museveni also announced plans to tailor the Parish Development Model (PDM) to the needs of older persons.
He said government would work on the programme after concluding its financial engagements related to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which he said had consumed significant financial resources.
The proposal comes against the backdrop of existing government programmes targeting older persons.
Recent Ministry of Finance figures show that 538,024 elderly persons aged above 60 are already beneficiaries under the PDM financial inclusion pillar, accounting for 15.07 percent of its beneficiaries.
Uganda’s 2024 National Population and Housing Census also found that people aged 60 and above constitute about 5 percent of the country’s population, with 72 percent of older persons depending primarily on subsistence farming for their livelihoods.
The government already provides support through the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) and the Special Enterprise Grant for Older Persons (SEGOP).
However, the expansion of SAGE remains constrained by funding. Parliament reported on September 30 that the planned reduction of the eligibility age from 80 to 65 had been delayed by a Shs252 billion funding gap.
Under the existing SAGE arrangement, eligible beneficiaries receive Shs25,000 per month. Government has also proposed increasing the grant to Shs35,000.
President wants geriatrician in every district
Museveni further raised concerns about the high medical burden faced by older people, saying they are particularly vulnerable to health conditions that require sustained medical attention.
He proposed that government should sponsor and recruit a geriatrician in every district to provide free and consistent medical care to elderly Ugandans.
“It is, therefore, my view that the government should sponsor and recruit a geriatrician in each district to offer free and consistent medical support to the elderly,” Museveni said.
The proposal comes as Parliament and government officials have increasingly highlighted the need for specialised healthcare for older persons.
In August 2026, Parliament approved a motion calling for improved geriatric healthcare and stronger social protection for older persons. MPs also pressed government over the delayed increase in the SAGE grant.
A recent study of older SAGE beneficiaries in Kampala also identified continuing challenges around nutrition and quality of life, underscoring the broader health and welfare pressures facing Uganda’s ageing population.
The President’s proposals therefore place wealth preservation, economic empowerment and specialised healthcare at the centre of the government’s approach to supporting Uganda’s elderly population.
