Sovereignty bill designed to hurt opposition parties, FDC’s Amuriat says

__________________

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has accused the government of introducing the Protection of Sovereignty Bill, 2026, as a deliberate move to stifle opposition parties and shrink civic space in Uganda.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, April 27, 2026, FDC president Patrick Amuriat said the Bill is designed to undermine multi-party democracy and weaken the opposition.

“The bill is seen as part of a broader attempt by the government to stifle political participation. The more you reduce the already little space for the opposition to thrive, you are pushing them to look at alternatives. This is dangerous for both democracy and the stability of the country,” Amuriat warned.

He said the Bill, like other laws introduced by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government in recent years, is intended to silence, imprison and undermine Ugandans’ ability to speak, assemble, challenge power and live freely.

“Any FDC member who advocates against a government policy after receiving any form of foreign-linked support faces 20 years in prison. This makes opposition politics itself a criminal enterprise,” Amuriat noted.

He warned that if passed, the Minister of Internal Affairs could declare any person, company or organisation a ‘foreigner’ by statutory instrument with no criteria, no judicial oversight and no right of appeal.

“This bill is a duplication of existing laws. Uganda already has laws regulating financial flows, political activity, national security and civil society operations like the Anti-money Laundering Act, Anti-terrorism Act, the Public Finance Management Act, the Non-governmental Organisations Act, the political parties and organisations act, which already safeguards sovereignty, democratic participation and institutional accountability,” he observed.

He said the economic sabotage clause, clause 13, which states that publishing truthful information about government economic failure becomes ‘economic sabotage’ punishable by 20 years’ imprisonment, is a direct assault on press freedom and Article 29 of the Constitution.

Amuriat demanded the withdrawal of the Bill, insisting that no amendment would salvage it, arguing that its constitutional violations are structural and irreparable.

“Ugandans abroad are citizens, not foreigners, and their remittances of over sh2.5b annually are a national lifeline, not a foreign threat,” he emphasised.

He said the parliamentary committee must conduct a full constitutional compliance review and, if the government has genuine concerns about foreign interference, it should consult civil society, the opposition, religious leaders, the private sector and ordinary citizens through a referendum before legislating.

What Sovereignty Bill seeks to address

The Bill, which is expected to be fast-tracked through Parliament, seeks to regulate foreign influence and funding in Uganda's political and civic space.

It proposes strict oversight measures, including requirements for organisations to declare foreign funding within 14 days of receipt and grants the Minister of Internal Affairs wide-ranging authority to monitor and restrict such inflows.

Other opposition parties, including the Uganda Peoples' Congress (UPC), Peoples’ Front for Freedom (PFF) and the Alliance of National Transformation (ANT), share FDC's concerns.

Maj. Gen. (rtd) Mugisha Muntu, the ANT party president, argues that the bill is introduced in bad faith, undermines multi-party democracy and seeks to weaken the opposition.

He said the Bill's definitions, particularly terms such as “agent” and “disruptive activities”, are overly broad and open to abuse.

Penalties under the Bill are severe, with offenders facing fines of up to sh2b and prison sentences of up to 20 years, Muntu observed.

Muntu expressed concern that the Bill threatens freedoms of expression, association and assembly guaranteed under the Constitution.

Govt reliance on foreign funding

While the government seeks to regulate foreign funding for citizens, civil society and political actors, it remains heavily dependent on foreign aid, grants, concessional loans and donor financing for its own operations.

“Every national budget reflects this dependence. If foreign financing is genuinely a threat to sovereignty, then the government must begin with itself,” FDC chairman for Nakawa division and national executive committee member in charge of health and sanitation, Moses Okwera said.

Uganda continues to rely on external financing amounting to over sh5 trillion annually across health, education, infrastructure, humanitarian support, agriculture and public administration.

“If that foreign support does not come through, the economy loses a critical fiscal buffer, public service collapses, and government itself becomes unsustainable.