President Yoweri Museveni has urged older Ugandans to adopt modern ways of preserving and transferring wealth, warning against fragmenting family assets through traditional inheritance practices.
Museveni made the remarks on Thursday, October 1, 2026, while officiating at the International Day of Older Persons celebrations at State House Entebbe.
The President said many elderly people risk losing the wealth they have accumulated over the years by dividing it among their children instead of using structures that can preserve assets across generations.
“Many older people start fragmenting their wealth to distribute it to their children instead of using modern inheritance methods such as shareholding,” Museveni said.
He encouraged older people with substantial assets to consider approaches that allow wealth to remain intact while benefiting their families.
Museveni said the government’s objective was to help wealthy elderly Ugandans preserve their assets while supporting those without wealth to acquire it through government programmes.
“Our aim as government is to ensure that wealthy older people maintain their wealth, while those who have none are supported to obtain it through available government programmes,” he said.
The President also announced plans for the government to develop a Parish Development Model (PDM) programme specifically targeting older persons.
He said the initiative would be considered after the government completes its financial engagements related to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which he said had required significant financial resources.
“Therefore, we shall tailor a PDM programme for the elderly after concluding our financial engagements in the AFCON, which has taken a lot of money,” Museveni said.
The President also raised concerns about the health challenges facing older people, noting that they are more vulnerable to medical conditions and the financial burden associated with treatment.
He proposed that the government recruit and support geriatricians in every district to provide specialised healthcare to older persons.
“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,” he said.
Geriatricians are medical specialists trained to manage health conditions associated with ageing.
Museveni’s proposals place wealth preservation, economic empowerment and access to specialised healthcare among the issues the government wants to address in supporting Uganda’s older population.