Shock gripped elders who had converged in Morugatuny Sub County, Amuria District to receive their elderly monthly emoluments under the Social Assistance grant for empowerment (SAGE) after one of their members dropped to death.
According to eyewitnesses, the 88-year-old Theresa Iregu, dropped dead minutes after she had been served by officials from Amuria District community development office, with her two month social assistance grant empowerment money for her upkeep.
She had been given Shs50,000 as upkeep for October and November.
Mzee Charles Aloikin from Ongolia village told Daily Monitor that after receiving her payment, Iregu went under the shade of a mango tree where she suddenly dropped and died.
When contacted, Mr John Michael Oloit, the Amuria Development Officer said that Iregu died after she had been handed the money.
He stated that the information they received from the relatives of the late indicate that she had been ill for some time and that this could have caused her death.
Mr Oloit said the first beneficiaries of the SAGE programme were selected across the 15 sub counties that form Amuria but the numbers are not yet rolled out to all elders.
He added that Iregu’s body was handed over to her relatives for burial in their home village of Olwa in Morugatuny Sub County.