NGO Act 2016 disseminated to Bukedi sub region leaders

Oct 19, 2016

Richard Ssewakiryanga the executive director of Uganda national NGO forum said they are moving around the country dissimilating the NGO Act 2016 to key stakeholders.

Civil society organizations who don't concentrate in activities in line with the issued permit by the national bureau of non-governmental organizations should have their permits cancelled. 

John Watenyeli Nabende the resident district commissioners of Pallisa said government should implement this because majority of the civil society organizations in Uganda deviate from their core activities they sign memorandum of understanding with central government and district and take advantage to undermine government.

Watenyeli while closing the dissemination workshop of the NGO Act 2016 held at country Inn hotel Pallisa attended by various leaders from the districts of Bukedi sub region said NGOs decampaigned NRM government because they were closer to the communities.

He said civil society organizations are helping government in critical areas of poverty alleviation, disease, education, food insecurity maternal health and gender not to involve in politics."Your work is to pattern with government in socio-economic development and when it comes to politics play your cardinal role of civic education and reconciliation of political players after elections", he said.

Richard Ssewakiryanga the executive director of Uganda national NGO forum said they are moving around the country dissimilating the NGO Act 2016 to key stakeholders.

 

Ssewakiryanga said in each sub region they meet the district police commanders, district community development officers, cultural leaders, residents district commissioners, chief administrative officers, district internal security officers, religious leaders and civil society organizations so that they internalize the act and its regulations.

Peter Magelah Gwayaka the program manager of Chapter four who interpreted the sections of the Act  said all civic society organization are to adhere by the act which is already law.

Gwayaka said all the community based organization are to operate at  the sub county it registers to offer its services for and must be registered by the district nongovernmental monitoring committee chaired by the chief administrative officer and civil society will be handle by national bureau of non-governmental organizations.

However Dawson Wamire the district community development officer of Pallisa raised concern over the silence of the NGO act on churches whose role is to provide spiritual service to the community but are now handling other activities.

"We have churches in Pallisa that have opened schools and health centers which makes our work difficult and we need the act to clarify on this", Wamire said.

Ambassador Gabriel Kagwagye the chairperson of the national NGO bureau who represented Abubakar Jeje Odongo the minister internal affairs said the churches should handle spiritual services and counseling and if they need to provide any other service must register for it.Kagwangye said in all the ten of the fourteen regions they have issues in religious organizations especially the Pentecostals but advised that they should maintain their work but government is setting an act for the better management of other church activities.

"The community based organizations whose objectives contravene with the laws of Uganda or has misleading information should not be considered by the district non-governmental monitoring committee", He said.

Fred Ejautene the Pallisa civil organizations' network coordinator said the dissemination is timely as most civil society and community based organizations are to renew their permits.

Ejautene said some of the community based organization found it difficult to follow all the steps of registration and with the new law they easily get services."I mobilized all the NGOs and CBOs in  Bukedi sub region for this important meeting so that they don't give excuses ", Ejautene said.

 What people said about the NGO Act

Sam Okwii the chairperson LC3 of Akisim sub county it is going to be easy to register community based organization at the district NGO monitoring committee than the office of the community development officer which had so many conditions.

George Oule  the secretary for works Pallisa district said  leaving the faith based organizations out of this bill will make them continue with so many activities which is they fail to deliver have no law to quote for holding them responsible.

 

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