Zadock Amanyisa | Tayari News
KAMPALA – Members of the Ugandan Civil Society Organisations have issued a statement dispelling the surge of systematic, harmful government narratives, threats, and illegal actions “all geared towards closing the space for civic engagement in Uganda.”
Civil society actors on Monday said they are an indispensable component of the socioeconomic and political fabric of their polity, and their existence is not only mandated by the Constitution but is also borne out by the history of the struggle for self-determination.
From providing essential services to promoting accountable governance, NGOs are an indispensable component in developing societies with an inadequate government presence. However, we are currently witnessing an unprecedented and hostile campaign by the State to dismantle this sector.
They said their statement serves as a formal communication against the unfounded and deliberately misleading narrative painted by the ruling political establishment, which baselessly labels NGOs as “agents of shadowy foreign interests” and “threats to national security.”
The team asserted that the prevalence of NGOs is not a threat, but rather an indictment of the government’s failure to meet its obligations under the social contract.
According to the group, the Ugandan government has transitioned from defamatory rhetoric into aggressive administrative and lawfare, characterised by a clear and regressive pattern that coincides with the ongoing political transition.
“We are mindful that this crackdown follows a historical pattern of state overreach during political congregations-from the 2017 raids on Action Aid, GLISS, and the Uhuru Institute during the Presidential Age Limit debate, to the 2021 arbitrary suspension of 54 NGOs,” they said adding, “the current assault on the eve of and in the aftermath of the 2026 General Elections is a concerted effort to silence civic engagement on salient governance challenges like corruption, human rights violations and flawed elections.”
CSOs said the criminalisation of NGO work has dire consequences for the Ugandan people. Consequences include service delivery deficits, erosion of democracy, economic instability, and a climate of fear, among others.
Call to action
Asserting that are not terrorists or saboteurs, but partners in the pursuit of a better Uganda, CSOs demanded immediate reversal of suspensions and illegal orders, immediate reinstatement of the permits of the suspended organizations and the unfreezing of all affected bank accounts, withdrawal of “repressive proposals, halting the regulatory impact assessment proposals that seek to control funding and donor accreditation, and ensure meaningful input by the sector and all relevant stakeholders.”
They also called for the protection of constitutional rights, arguing that the government must respect Articles 29 and 38 of the Constitution, guaranteeing the rights to association, expression, and participation in governance, cessation of hostility by stopping the defamatory rhetoric and recognising that a thriving civil society is a shield for the citizen, not a threat to the state.
“Instead, government should be more open to partnership with civil society in pursuit of a shared national development vision.”
They pledged to remain “committed to our mission and will continue to challenge the injustices in the sector through every legal and moral avenue available.”
The government is yet to comment on the matter.