The Parliament of Uganda commenced discussions on government rationalization bills, starting with the consideration of the Non-Governmental Organisations (Amendment) Bill, 2024. This bill seeks to integrate the functions of the National Bureau of NGOs into the Ministry for Internal Affairs. Under the proposed amendment, the National Bureau of NGOs, established as a distinct entity under Act 5 of 2016, would cease to exist as an independent body and instead operate as a department within the Ministry responsible for Internal Affairs.
The report of the Committee on Internal Affairs supported the mainstreaming of the National Bureau of NGOs but proposed a significant amendment. The committee recommended that the appointment of members to the Bureau should be the responsibility of the Permanent Secretary, rather than the minister as outlined in the Bill. Hon. Wilson Kajwengye, Chairperson of the Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs, presented the committee’s report, expressing concerns about potential conflicts between the Minister and the Permanent Secretary’s authority.
Hon. Kajwengye highlighted the risk of the Minister usurping the supervisory and management authority of the Permanent Secretary by directly appointing members to the Bureau. To address this structural conflict, the committee proposed granting the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary the authority to designate Bureau members from within the Ministry itself. However, Hon. Dononzio Kahonda (Ruhinda South) presented a minority report opposing the bill, advocating for the maintenance of the National Bureau of NGOs as an independent entity.
According to Hon. Kahonda, maintaining the Bureau’s independence is crucial due to vulnerabilities within the NGO sector and the need to fulfill international obligations. He warned that mainstreaming the Bureau into the Ministry could compromise its capacity and pose risks to national security. Hon. Peter Okeyoh (Bukooli Island) raised concerns about the financial management of the Bureau, highlighting significant expenditures on rent.
On the other hand, Hon. Sarah Opendi (Tororo District) acknowledged challenges with some NGOs but believed that law enforcement agencies were effectively addressing them. Meanwhile, Hon. Kaaya Christine Naki (Kiboga District) urged Parliament to preserve the National Bureau for NGOs, emphasizing the importance of strengthening NGOs to maintain their watchdog function.
In response to the debate, Hon. Asuman Basalirwa (Bugiri Municipality) questioned opposition to mainstreaming the Bureau, arguing that if the government deems it feasible, there should be no objection. After thorough scrutiny and deliberation, the House agreed to mainstream the National Bureau for NGOs as a department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as proposed by the NGOs (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
With the conclusion of discussions on the NGOs bill, the Parliament proceeded to consider the National Library (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
