The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, has called on the government to urgently explain the status of several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that have remained under suspension for nearly eight months without any official communication on the outcome of investigations.
Speaking during Tuesday’s parliamentary sitting, chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, Ssenyonyi questioned why investigations into the affected organisations had taken so long without the government informing them of the findings or allowing them to respond to the allegations.
According to Ssenyonyi, the organisations were accused of engaging in alleged subversive activities and suspended with assurances that investigations would be concluded within a short period. Nearly eight months later, he said, no findings or decisions have been communicated.
They include the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME), AGoRa Centre for Research, Alliance for Campaign Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), African Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (ACTV), Chapter Four Uganda, Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), Uganda National NGO Forum, Network for Public Interest Lawyers (NETPIL), National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Uganda (NCHRD-U), and Human Rights Network for Journalists Uganda (HRNJ-U).
Ssenyonyi argued that the principles of natural justice and fair administrative action require public authorities to communicate the outcome of investigations promptly, particularly where legally registered organisations have had their operations halted. “It is only fair that when you suspend an organisation, you communicate. If there is an issue, they should know so that they can defend themselves,” he said.
Ssenyonyi said the organisations have operated legally in Uganda for years and questioned why they continue to remain in administrative limbo without any formal determination of their status.
He added that the prolonged suspension has had far-reaching consequences, leaving hundreds of employees uncertain about their livelihoods while disrupting programmes that provide legal aid, governance advocacy, media development, human rights monitoring, and civic education across the country.
“These organisations employ hundreds of Ugandans who have now gone months without certainty about their future. Government owes them and the public an explanation,” he said.
Responding on behalf of the Executive, Government Chief Whip Dr Jane Ruth Aceng said government was not avoiding accountability but required more time before presenting a comprehensive statement to Parliament.
Aceng explained that consultations involving the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Presidency were still ongoing following requests made by the affected organisations. She assured the House that government would return with a formal response once those engagements had been concluded.
While government has maintained that NGOs must operate within the law and has defended tighter oversight as necessary to safeguard national security, financial accountability and legal compliance, civil society groups argue that regulatory actions must be transparent, proportionate and consistent with constitutional guarantees.
Uganda’s regulation of NGOs is governed principally by the Non-Governmental Organisations Act, 2016, which provides the legal framework for the registration, operation, supervision and, where necessary, disciplinary action against NGOs through the National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organisations.
The law empowers regulators to investigate organisations suspected of violating legal requirements while also providing for procedural safeguards, including fair administrative processes.
Civil society organisations have consistently argued that prolonged suspensions without clear findings undermine constitutional freedoms, public participation and the delivery of essential services, particularly in the areas of human rights, governance, health and community development-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
