Many PWD groups struggling despite sh38.5b funding

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While the National Special Grant (NSG) has provided critical support to persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Uganda, an audit by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) shows that the majority of beneficiary groups have struggled to sustain projects, raising concerns over the programme’s impact and oversight.

In his report to Parliament, Auditor General Edward Akol says since the gender ministry (MoGLSD) implemented NSG inception in the financial year 2019/20, shillings 38.5 billion have been disbursed to 588 PWD groups across the country to promote social and economic empowerment.

The beneficiaries received funds to run small enterprises such as goat rearing, produce buying and selling, poultry keeping, and savings and credit activities.

However, the audit revealed that project performance has been uneven, with many groups failing to maintain approved activities.

Abandoned projects

According to the audit, of 103 sampled group projects, only 27 groups (26.2%) fully maintained their approved projects, 8 groups (7.7%) changed their activities without approval and a staggering 68 groups (66%) split or abandoned their projects after receiving funds.

“The most affected categories were goat rearing (22%) and produce buying and selling (17.6%), while enterprises like savings and credit, poultry keeping, and events management remained stable. While some groups have successfully used the funds to generate income and skills, a large number have struggled to sustain their enterprises,” the report notes.

The audit also found that shillings 2.19 billion was disbursed to 808 PWD groups without proper verification, and no verification reports were available for the last two quarters of financial year 2023/24, raising a risk that some funds may have reached non-existent or “ghost” groups.

50% implementation of projects

In addition, the audit revealed that out of 61 sampled NSG programme activities, only 33 (54.1%) were fully implemented, 23 (37.7%) partially implemented, and 5 (8.2%) not implemented.

“Activities such as the development of Standard Operating Procedures for PWD centers, stakeholder consultations, and institutional verification were among those not fully executed. The lack of proper monitoring and follow-up has constrained the program’s ability to achieve its intended outcomes,” the report warns.

The auditors noted that despite challenges, the NSG has had notable successes in skills development.

According to the report, 726 PWD learners were trained in vocational trades, including tailoring, carpentry, welding, leatherwork, and hairdressing, providing them with skills to engage in income-generating activities.

It was also noted that the Disability Management Information System (DMIS) was rolled out to 181 local governments. The system is designed to track projects and beneficiaries.

However, an audit of the system found that key modules for group registration, grievance handling, and disbursement were underused or non-functional, limiting accountability and follow-up.

Akol recommended that mandatory verification of all PWD groups should be done before fund disbursement to prevent misallocation and that regular monitoring and evaluation of groups be done to track group progress and address challenges proactively.

“Strengthening support, monitoring, and accountability mechanisms is crucial to ensure that PWD groups not only receive funding but also succeed in sustaining their projects,” the audit report concludes.