By Frank Mulekwa
I have read the criticisms against the Protection of Sovereignty Bill, and honestly, most of them are either dishonest or deeply confused.
For a long time, we have been pretending not to see what is happening. Foreign interests have been quietly influencing our politics, funding groups, shaping narratives, and even destabilising systems, all in the name of “support” and “democracy,” and I do not agree with that at all.
I believe Uganda must remain for Ugandans. If you are operating here, receiving foreign money, or pushing agendas backed from outside, the state has every right to know, regulate, and control it. That is not oppression; that is sovereignty.
On constitutionality
They say the bill violates Article 1 of the Constitution, but that is nonsense. Article 1 says all power belongs to the people. The people elected Parliament, and Parliament is debating this bill. Isn’t that how democracy works?
The Constitution also protects national sovereignty and security, and it allows the state to regulate in the interest of public order. Many of those shouting “unconstitutional” are simply uncomfortable because they will now have to declare their funding. They prefer operating without oversight. That is not a constitutional argument; it is fear of transparency.
The Constitution does not say a Ugandan has a right to receive unlimited foreign funding to influence our politics.
On the economy
The Uganda Bankers’ Association says this bill will scare away foreign investment. Laughable. Foreign investors come because of infrastructure, security, and market access, not because NGOs are receiving millions from Washington.
What scares investors is instability, and what creates instability is foreign-funded activists who think they can dictate our laws from hotel rooms in Kampala. If an investor leaves because we decided to regulate foreign influence, that investor was never serious about Uganda. Good riddance.
On the diaspora
They say Ugandans abroad will be treated as foreigners, but that is a lie designed to scare people. The bill targets foreign funding meant to influence our internal affairs, not a mother in London sending school fees to Jinja.
Being regulated because you deal with foreign funding does not make you a foreigner; it means you are operating in a sensitive space that requires accountability. Even other countries have stricter rules for such activities, and that does not cancel your citizenship. So why should Uganda be different?
If a Ugandan abroad is bankrolling a pressure group to destabilise the government, why should that be protected? You cannot wrap yourself in the flag while funding chaos. That is not patriotism; it is sabotage dressed in diaspora clothes.
On NGOs and civil society
This is where I have the least patience. Many NGOs have done good work, and I will not deny that, but a good number have behaved like parallel governments. They take foreign money, set their own agendas, and then cry persecution when asked to be accountable.
The bill does not ban NGOs; it says if you take foreign money, you must declare it. What is wrong with transparency? That is what they claim to love, so why are they afraid? Because some of them know they cannot defend what they have been doing with that money.
If you are genuinely doing clean work, you have nothing to fear. The only people uncomfortable are those operating in the shadows.
A word to my fellow citizens
You citizens should wholly support this bill. Opposition politicians receive billions in foreign money, then use you to do all the donkey work—protesting, rioting, and clashing with police. They get filthy rich while you either rot in prison, suffer permanent injuries, or even fatalities.
Let the taps of foreign money be regulated, and we will see if they can sustain their opposition noise genuinely. Do not be their tool anymore. He who pays the piper orders the tune.
On sovereignty and anti-Interference
Here is my strongest argument. Uganda is not a colony. We have our own flag, army, Parliament, and President, but what is the point if foreign powers can still dictate our politics through cheque books?
Sovereignty is not just about borders; it is about who decides what happens inside them. Since when did sovereignty become negotiable? Every serious country protects its national interests, so why should Uganda be the exception?
I do not buy the argument that this bill will kill freedom because freedom without control can easily be abused. What we are seeing today is not pure freedom; it is influence, manipulation, and outright interference disguised as activism.
This bill draws a clear line: if you want to operate in Uganda, you do so on Uganda’s terms, not on foreign instructions.
For too long, some Ugandans have acted like foreign agents while pretending to be civil society. This bill says enough is enough. If you want to influence Uganda, do it openly, do it through Ugandan resources, or do not do it at all.
Final word to the critics
You can call this bill oppressive, run to your funders, write your statements, and threaten that donors will withdraw. But we have heard all of it before, and we are still here. Uganda will not be blackmailed into remaining a soft target for foreign manipulation.
Some people take long to understand things, but they later understand them. Every bill tabled in Parliament is protested by the opposition. Even the Constitution itself, when it was promulgated, the opposition protested and refused to append their signatures, but today it is what they quote and pretend to protect.
Hon MPs, please pass the bill, amend it where necessary, but do not kill it because what it protects is not a government. It protects us, all of us, even those who do not yet understand that.
