Banyoro communities have called for the parliament to exercise due diligence on the sovereignty bill before it’s passed and becomes a law.
Community outcry has followed the tabling of the Protection of Sovereignty Bill before the Parliament of Uganda last Wednesday, with approval expected to become law by the parliament next week.
According to the wananchi, approval of the Bill will cease community rights to freedom, expression, finance freedom but also build high security threats especially to a targeted few local individuals.
Robert Atuhairwe, a journalist from Hoima wonders why the government could continue making more laws over the other without revising loopholes in the already existing laws rather than adding more in place.
“We already have an anti-money laundering Act in place which the government would use against foreign money transactions,” he said.
Mugisa Kasim asks Parliamentarians to always think twice before making and approving laws that compress local communities.
“Most of the laws directly affect the locals more than those in the top political seats,” he argued.
“Parliamentarians have a bigger mandate and task to focus on serving the ordinary citizens in a better way than prioritising their political careers for their personal gains,” Kasim continued.
According to the former Hoima district Khadi, Sheikh Musa Mabanja, Uganda’s motto, “For God and my Country” indicates that it is a God-fearing country, thus would encourage Peace and Justice among citizens rather than forming laws that mismatch people’s freedom.
Sheikh Marvin Irumba, wonders why the government fails to put local communities in the forefront in decision making especially at a time Uganda is just from the general elections.
Rev. Fr. Patrick Museveni, says the bill should be given ample time for review to ensure citizens’ rights are observed.
Biira Nassa Kiwanuka, the Executive Director of Recreation for Development and Peace Uganda (RDP), a local NGO, cited a couple of citizen agency restrictions in the law. These restrictions, he said, undresses citizenship from Ugandans of citizenship.
He says such restrictions touch citizens from all corners of aspects including religion, education and investments, turning them into foreign agencies, thus blocking citizens from participating in different aspects of life.
Biira called on the need for Parliamentarians to have more listening ears before they suppress the local community and local development partners.
He also called for rethinking into the bill, saying that the bill is totally ceasing the Human Rights Act, citing Articles 1 and 34, where citizens have rights to expression, participation in both local and national decisions.
Most communities call upon the government to always prioritise engagements in both national and local matters to ensure equal rights and treatment.
The bill is slated for approval next week on April 24, 2026, by the eleventh Parliament of Uganda.
More about the Bill
The Protection of Sovereignty Bill 2026 is a proposed Ugandan law intended to regulate foreign funding and influence over domestic policy, civil society, and business.
It creates a new category of “agent of a foreigner,” requiring registration and strict approval for receiving foreign assistance, with severe penalties including up to 20 years in prison for violating national interests.
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