Kampala, Uganda — The National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU), together with partner organizations including the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection, Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA), and the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Persons with Disabilities, among others, has issued a strong appeal to the Government of Uganda, calling for a supplementary allocation of at least UGX 12.6 billion to fund a proposed Child Disability Benefit.
The plea comes after the initiative was excluded from the UGX 72.376 trillion national budget for the 2025/2026 financial year, presented on June 12th.
Addressing the media during a press conference held at NUDIPU headquarters, the organizations expressed deep concern over the government’s failure to prioritize children with disabilities, despite mounting public demand for inclusive and equitable budget allocations.
“Children with disabilities continue to face some of the most entrenched inequalities in our society. This is a call for meaningful action,” said Gloria Nakajubi, Advocacy and Communication Lead at the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection.
Ms. Nakajubi added that NUDIPU is seeking to take advantage of the supplementary budget window—typically used to address urgent or overlooked needs—to secure funding for the benefit, which they propose should start with at least UGX 12.6 billion.
This represents a mere 0.017% of the national budget, but according to advocates, it would be a major step toward inclusive social protection.
The push is supported by alarming data from the 2024 National Population and Housing Census, which reported over 460,000 children aged 2–17 living with disabilities in Uganda—a 2.4% disability prevalence rate. These children and their families face higher poverty levels, social exclusion, and significant additional costs for education, healthcare, and daily care.
Ms. Esther Kyozira, Chief Executive Officer of NUDIPU, said that the campaign also builds on earlier support from the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, who, during a high-level dialogue at the Kampala Sheraton Hotel in March this year, emphasized that “disability support is a right, not a privilege,” and proposed an initial allocation of UGX 12 billion to kick-start the Child Disability Benefit.
Despite this endorsement, the initiative was left out of the 2025/26 budget. NUDIPU is now appealing to Parliament’s Budget and Gender Committees to take urgent action and champion the cause.
The organizations argue that funding the Child Disability Benefit would align with Uganda’s obligations under its Constitution, the National Social Protection Policy (2015), the Persons with Disabilities Act, and global commitments such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
“We cannot talk about inclusive growth and transformation while excluding the needs of children with disabilities,” Ms. Kyozira stressed.
“As the budget implementation period begins, NUDIPU’s call is clear: the government must move beyond words and show tangible commitment to inclusion—starting with the nation’s most vulnerable,” said Atimango Angeline, Coordinator of the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Persons with Disabilities.
