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Why Uganda suspended NGOs ahead of polls
President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.
Ugandan authorities are defending a temporary shutdown of some Non-governmental organisations in the country, just days before the definitive elections on Thursday.
The Ugandan National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organisations said on Tuesday, January 13, some 10 organisations will be closed temporarily to allow investigations into their operations.
The Bureau said it had received “intelligence” that some of the organisations were engaged in activities that are “prejudicial to the law of Uganda” and ordered them to cease operations indefinitely. While it didn’t provide details, it said investigations would determine the fate of the organisations.
Both the timing and choice of organisations affected by the directive, however, has raised the possibility of being an election-related decision. The suspended organisations include human rights, media, and election monitoring organisations that had documented incidents of police brutality on journalists as well as created portals to monitor transparency of the vote.
They include the umbrella organisation for civil society groups known as the National NGO Forum, Chapter Four Uganda, Alliance for Election Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), Human Rights Network for Journalists–Uganda (HRNJ-U), and the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders in Uganda (NCHRD-U).
Each of the organisations had received letters providing legal violations they supposedly committed. The NGO Forum reportedly violated the local NGO laws, the same allegation on ACFIM and NCHRD-U.
Chapter Four reportedly engaged in activities prejudicial to the security and laws of Uganda. The letter from Dr Stephen Okello, the Bureau’s Secretary, said the NGO should temporarily stop operations due to the sensitivity of allegations it faced. The investigation timeline was not given.
It was a similar allegation to HRNJ-U, which has been vocal in defending journalists injured in rallies or brutalised by the security agencies.
Rights watchdogs accused the government of imposing restrictions to dodge electoral transparency. On Tuesday, Uganda also suspended internet services during elections, citing rising misinformation and incitement to violence. Uganda had initially said it won’t shut down the internet, but it said on Tuesday the change in stance was informed by an advisory from intelligence agencies.
“The indefinite suspension on vague, unsubstantiated grounds of organisations whose work promotes civil and political rights, is further evidence of Uganda’s disregard for free speech and freedom of association,” said Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
“The government should immediately revoke these suspensions.”
In 2024, some NGOs had also been suspended for various violations. In August 2021, the Bureau also suspended Chapter Four and 53 other organisations for non-compliance with local laws, including alleged use of expired permits and failure to file returns.
In November, the German-funded Strengthening Governance and Civil Society Programme (GCSP) was temporarily shut down for engaging in subversive activities.
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