The Ministry of Internal Affairs is now responsible for regulating non-governmental organisations’ activities after lawmakers abolished the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Board.
This happened as the legislators debated the NGO (Amendment) Bill, 2024, approved on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, during the plenary session.
The National Bureau of NGOs’ duties can be carried out within the Ministry, as was the case in 2016 before the creation of the Board, according to Hon. Wilson Kajwengye, the chairperson of the Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs.
As part of the government’s strategy to streamline disparate organizations, the amendment officially recognizes the Bureau as a department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The NGO Board is being replaced by a Bureau under the new law. The Secretary will lead the Bureau and report to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
As per the recently implemented legal framework, the Secretary will be in charge of overseeing the day-to-day activities of the Bureau, managing its finances, and administering and maintaining its property.
Kajwengye defended the Board’s dissolution by claiming that the government would not have to pay Shs1.1 billion in arrears annually, which would have otherwise been incurred by supporting the NGO Board and the adjudication committee.
“The Non-Tax Revenue collected from NGO registration will also be mainstreamed into the Ministry,” said Kajwengye.
Hon. Asuman Basalirwa (JEEMA, Bugiri Municipality) said that the stay of the National Bureau of NGOs is not justified because of the current bureaucratic processes entailed in renewal of NGO licenses.
“Getting information or renewal of licenses from NGO Board is extremely difficult, even basic things are being a challenge, I do not think its stay is justified,” Basalirwa said.
Hon. Dononzio Kahonda (NRM, Ruhinda South County) however, differed from the Committee’s report, arguing that the Board has enhanced registration, monitoring and inspection of NGOs.
He added that the NGOs and CBOs registered in Uganda are reported to bring into the country a minimum of Shs4.5 trillion annually, and therefore compliments the work of government.
“It is the minority’s concern that mainstreaming the Bureau as a department will deny the country the unique, specialised expertise required to oversee a rather complex and dynamic NGO sector,” said Kahonda.
Kiboga District Woman MP, Hon. Christine Kaaya, supported the minority report, saying that mainstreaming the Bureau under the Ministry of Internal Affairs will affect inspections and monitoring of NGOs.
“It will be a very difficult moment if the Board is dissolved because NGOs are bound by donors who need timely responses and we know their contributions in terms of fundraising for this nation,” she said.
