Museveni directs govt Chief Whip to revise Sovereignty Bill

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President Yoweri Museveni has directed Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua to review the controversial Sovereignty Bill, insisting that it should strictly focus on protecting Uganda’s independence in policy decision-making and not interfere with private capital flows or remittances.

In a detailed statement addressed to Ugandans, particularly the youth, Museveni said the ongoing public debate around the proposed law had been fuelled by misinformation about its intent and scope.

“I have noticed a lot of olwaari (noise)… Which Sovereignty Bill is the noise about? The one I initiated in Cabinet or another one?” the President said, dismissing claims that the legislation would block foreign direct investment, church donations, or money sent by Ugandans abroad.

He was categorical that such provisions were never part of the original proposal.

“That is not the Bill I initiated,” he said.

Amid mounting criticism, Museveni revealed that he had engaged Obua and leaders of relevant parliamentary committees to ensure the Bill remains narrowly defined.

“I have talked to Hon. Hamson Obua and the chairpersons… to make the Bill concentrate on the sovereignty of policy-decision-making and not to meander into… private enterprise transfers or church donations,” he said.

The proposed Sovereignty Bill has sparked widespread debate, with political parties, civil society organisations, and the Bank of Uganda raising concerns that it could restrict financial flows and undermine investor confidence.

Critics have called for the withdrawal of the Bill, warning that vague provisions could open the door to excessive state control over economic activity.

The President stressed that the ruling party would not support any attempt to restrict capital movement, describing it as central to Uganda’s economic transformation.

“The NRM cannot countenance interference with the freedom of movement of capital… that is our main instrument for growth and socio-economic transformation,” he added.

The President explained that the core objective of the Bill is to safeguard Uganda’s sovereignty by ensuring the country makes independent decisions on political, social, economic, and diplomatic matters without external interference.

“Sovereignty means… ‘leave us alone so that we make our own decisions,’” he said, warning against foreign actors using financial leverage to influence Uganda’s national direction.

Museveni reaffirmed that Uganda’s liberal economic framework would remain intact, noting that the country’s growth has been anchored on a free-market system that allows both inflows and outflows of capital.

“None of our policies says: do not send to Uganda or take out of Uganda money you have earned legally anywhere in the world. We run a free economy,” he said.

He added that private sector dynamism has continued to sustain economic progress despite inefficiencies in parts of the public sector, and emphasised that foreign exchange transactions will remain in the hands of privately operated forex bureaus.

READS THE FULL STATEMENT
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Fellow Ugandans, especially the Bazzukulu. Habaari. Greetings to all of you.

Recently, I have noticed a lot of orwaari (noise, kelele) regarding the Sovereignty Bill. Which Sovereignty Bill is the rwaari about? The one I initiated in the Cabinet or another one? The Bill will stop FDIs (Foreign Direct Investments), support for religious bodies from abroad, Remittances from Ugandans working abroad, etc., etc. Really!! That is not the Bill I initiated.

The Bill I initiated was about what we fought for and what the whole of Africa fought for ever since 1900, when the whole of Africa, except for Ethiopia, had been shamefully colonised after 400 years of the slave trade because of our egocentric Kings that were spending more energy causing wars among us than uniting us to defend ourselves.

Starting with the Afro-American Pan-Africanists such as Marcus Garvey and the ANC founded in 1912, the African Resistance, assisted by some other factors such as the support of the Socialist Countries of the USSR and China, finally defeated the colonial invasion with the freedom of South Africa in 1994. A whole century spent on that effort for survival as free People.

It is that Sovereignty that we were fighting for. Sovereignty in what? In policy decision-making. Policy decision-making on what issues? Policy decision-making on political issues (e.g., special women representation in Parliament or UPDF representation in Parliament); social issues (e.g., promotion of homosexuality or not); economic issues (e.g., privatisation or not, return of Asian properties or not); diplomatic issues (e.g., taking sides on the issues of the Ukraine- Russian war or remaining neutral); etc., etc.

As Mwalimu once said, Independence means the right to make our own mistakes if necessary and learn from them. Sovereignty means: “Please, mutuleke (leave us alone), so that we make our own decisions.” Do not fund groups to influence our decisions as a country. As our Constitution covered it, we exercise our sovereignty regularly through elections and referenda (Article 1(4), Article 59 and 68 of the Constitution).

To all and sundry, please do not interfere by word, action or money in that effort. Policy and ideological decisions can make or break countries. Uganda had become a failed state because of the politics of identity (tribe, religion, gender- chauvinism) as opposed to the politics of interests (e.g., markets for products of the wealth-creators).

The NRM and Ugandans have made choices on Politics, social issues, diplomatic issues and economic issues over the last 40 years. None of them says: Do not send to Uganda or take out of Uganda money you have earned legally anywhere in the World; do not send church donations to or from Uganda; do not receive or send out remittances from Ugandans working abroad. We run a free economy. Forex is bought and sold in privately run Forex Bureaus.

This is the strength of the Ugandan economy. The freedom of the Private Sector compensates for the obstructions of the corrupt or non-patriotic public servants and Political opportunists passing for politicians.

With some traditional cattle keepers, I privately defended and resurrected the precious Ankole Cattle that the so-called experts of neo-colonialism and colonialism had said was “neither good for beef or for milk”. The Ankole cattle are now a big hit in the World. I salute H.E Ramaphosa for assisting us in promoting the Ankole cattle when he bought (or took for nearly free) 43 cows from Kisozi.

Therefore, the NRM cannot countenance the interference with the freedom of movement of capital and money into or out of Uganda because that is our insurance against the corrupt public servants and politicians and our main instrument for growth and social-economic transformation. Uganda has thrived in spite of those traitors because of that policy.

I have talked to Hon. Hamson Obua and the Chairpersons of the relevant Parliamentary Committees to make the Bill concentrate on the Sovereignty of policy-decision-making and not to meander in the areas of the freedom of Private enterprise transfers, private money transfers or church donations.

With regard to those who want to influence others, go back to Jesus. He said, in the Book of Matthew, chapter 5, verse 16, that let your light so shine before men, that they see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven. Influence People by example and not by coercion or manipulation.

Long live Africa.

Signed:

YOWERI K. MUSEVENI

SSAABALWANYI