The Ugandan government's proposed Protection of Sovereignty Bill 2026, aimed at regulating foreign funding, has sparked widespread criticism from opposition figures, human rights organizations, and economic experts. The bill, which is being fast-tracked through parliament, proposes up to 20 years in prison for promoting "foreign interests" and imposes restrictions on a broad range of people and organizations that work with or receive funding from overseas partners.
Key Takeaways
Uganda's proposed Protection of Sovereignty Bill aims to regulate foreign funding but has drawn criticism for potentially stifling dissent and economic activity.
- Bill proposes up to 20 years in prison for promoting 'foreign interests'
- Central bank warns it could trigger inflation and reduce foreign reserves
- World Bank objects, saying the law could criminalize routine development activities
- Critics argue the bill is designed to restrict civil society and media
The bill has drawn particular concern from the central bank, with Governor Michael Atingi-Ego warning that it could trim foreign exchange reserves and trigger inflationary pressures. According to TimesLIVE and Reuters, the governor stated that tampering with financial inflows could destabilize the country's balance of payments and lead to currency depreciation.
The World Bank has also objected to the legislation, stating in a letter seen by Reuters that it could expose a broad range of its development activities to criminal liability. The bank highlighted that classifying international organizations as 'foreigners' without qualification subjects them to substantial restrictions and penalties. Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi dismissed these concerns as unwarranted, according to Reuters.
Critics argue that the bill is designed to restrict civil society, media, and dissent by cutting off funding that supports activities such as legitimate political opposition and holding the government to account. Joel Ssenyonyi, Uganda's leader of the opposition, described the law as a 'copy and paste' of Russian and Chinese laws adopted to liquidate opposition and civil society organizations.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 4 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.