Tayari News
KAMPALA – The pushback against the Protection of Sovereignty Bill, 2026, reached a fever pitch on Monday as high-profile activists, religious leaders, and economic experts joined the Citizens’ Coalition to demand its immediate withdrawal. Critics described the proposed law as a “syntax error” in legislation that threatens to “kill the heart” of Uganda’s Constitution.
From warnings of a weakening Shilling to emotional appeals for presidential humility, speakers at the engagement intensified pressure on Parliament ahead of the anticipated debate on the controversial bill. Veteran activist and former Ethics Minister Miria Matembe questioned why Parliament was rushing to debate legislation that President Yoweri Museveni himself has reportedly distanced himself from.
“If the President says, ‘No, I don’t know this bill,’ then what are you parliamentarians putting forward? Throw it back to him!” Matembe said. Matembe also criticized President Museveni’s “kelele-kelele” remarks, interpreted as dismissing public opposition to the bill as meaningless noise. “We are not your grandchildren (bazukulu); we are Ugandans. Respect us. A great leader should have the humility to say, ‘My people, calm down, we have seen the mistakes, we are withdrawing it,’” she said.
She warned Members of Parliament against passing what she described as a dangerous law that undermines constitutional governance. “The bill is taking away the heart of the Constitution, the people. Don’t fear the President. I left government 20 years ago, and I am still relevant. You can survive without bowing to a personal property mindset,” Matembe added.
While rights activists focused on constitutional freedoms, ActionAid International Secretary General Arthur Larok raised concerns about the possible economic consequences of the legislation. Larok claimed that Bank of Uganda Governor Michael Atingi-Ego had already warned Parliament of potential economic disruptions if the bill is passed in its current form. He said the proposed law could weaken investor confidence and negatively affect the value of the Ugandan Shilling.
In a joint statement, the Citizens’ Coalition argued that sovereignty under Article One of the Constitution belongs to citizens and not to the Executive or the Ministry of Internal Affairs. “A law that weakens the citizen, silences civic participation, and makes it dangerous for citizens to organize, speak, or question public policies is not a sovereignty law,” the coalition stated.
“It is a law against the sovereign people,” the statement added. The coalition further claimed that 96 percent of submissions made to Parliament during consultations reportedly rejected the bill. Although the government has introduced amendments aimed at softening some of the most controversial provisions, the coalition maintains that the spirit and structure of the bill remain fundamentally flawed.
The group argued that the legislation still treats research institutions, churches, human rights organisations, civil society groups, and diaspora-supported initiatives as threats to the state. “Where a bill has been substantially altered, the proper procedure is withdrawal, redrafting, and fresh public consultations,” the coalition stated, describing the current parliamentary process as an “abuse.”
Another major concern raised by critics is that Uganda already has sufficient legal frameworks to regulate foreign influence, financial accountability, and national security matters. The coalition pointed to existing laws such as the NGO Act, the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the Political Parties and Organisations Act, and anti-terrorism legislation as already providing mechanisms to monitor foreign funding and suspicious activities.
Religious leader and analyst Imam Kasozi compared the bill to a faulty computer program. “In computing, when you have a syntax error, you don’t maneuver; you start from the beginning. This bill is fundamentally flawed from line one,” Kasozi said.
Kasozi also highlighted the possible impact of the law on ordinary citizens, citing donor-supported community projects such as water sources in Karamoja and schools funded through foreign partnerships. “If you cannot sustain your people by giving enough, then swallow your pride and let the partners help. If I have 100,000 Shillings, I may remain with 50,000. But the local person with 10,000 will have zero,” he said.
The coalition also criticized the government’s comparisons between Uganda’s proposed law and legislation in other countries. Kasozi listed countries such as North Korea, Ethiopia, Hungary, Russia, and Cuba as examples frequently cited by supporters of the bill.
“Who among us is happy to live in those countries?” he asked. “We are shifting from an open-floor system to a ‘permission-based’ system. It creates fear, self-censorship in the media, and a total erosion of trust between citizens and the state,” Kasozi warned. The coalition has now called on Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and the joint committees handling the legislation to withdraw the bill entirely and restart the process through fresh consultations and re-gazetting.
The group also demanded investigations into why the version currently before Parliament allegedly differs from the draft initially approved by Cabinet. They further urged the government to rely on existing laws such as the NGO Act and the Anti-Money Laundering Act, instead of introducing what they described as an unconstitutional duplicate law.
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