Know Your Rights 13: The right to welfare of the disadvantaged

Chapter 4 of the Constitution of Uganda, also known as The Bill of Rights, details the rights of all Ugandan citizens. Whether you are a person with a disability (PWD) or not, all these rights are yours.

Article 32 of the Constitution of Uganda says that the state must take measures to improve the conditions of people who are disadvantaged because of gender, age, disability, or other historical reason like culture or tradition.

For PWDs this is very important. It means that the government of Uganda pledges to take care of vulnerable groups of people. This may be through laws or policies. Like for instance the policy of offering Senior Citizens Grants to the elderly. Or in legislation through the Persons with Disabilities Act 2006 (PWDA). The PWDA aims at providing equal opportunities and eliminating all forms of discrimination against PWDs.

Elder people in Mukono district have asked government to speed up the process where they can benefit from the elderly grant which was launched by Government.

The Constitution of Uganda details Article 32 like this:

32. Affirmative action in favour of marginalised groups. 

(1) Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, the State shall take affirmative action in favour of groups marginalised on the basis of gender, age, disability or any other reason created by history, tradition or custom, for the purpose of redressing imbalances which exist against them.

(2) Parliament shall make relevant laws, including laws for the establishment of an equal opportunities commission, for the purpose of giving full effect to clause (1) of this article.