Former Minister for ICT Aggrey Awori has been nominated for the position of Secretary for Finance for the elderly in Madibira B Village, Western Division in Busia Municipality.
The 80-year-old Awori was nominated during the elections for special interest groups that started on Wednesday
After his nomination Mr Awori, 80, who represented Samia Bugwe North in Parliament, said he wants better care for older persons by government. “The money the government is paying to the elderly is too low; we want more resources allocated for them and the age of the beneficiaries lowered,” he said.
Currently, government pays each elderly person above the age of 80 years a monthly allowance of Shs25,000 under the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) Fund, but Mr Awori thinks the age should be lowered and the money increased to at least Shs100,000.
The former minister said he has joined the elections for the older persons at Village level, but plans to continue in the race up to Parliament.
Awori was Minister for Information and Communications Technology from 16 February 2009 to 27 May 2011.
Prior to that, he represented Samia-Bugwe North, Busia District in the Ugandan Parliament from 2001 until 2006. Awori was an outspoken opposition member of parliament for the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) political party. In 2007, he abandoned the UPC and joined the ruling National Resistance Movement.
