Uganda’s parliament passed legislation to curb alleged foreign influence after scaling back proposed restrictions on funding from abroad that the central bank governor said risked “economic disaster.”
The proposal, entitled “The Protection of Sovereignty Bill,” was adopted late on Tuesday and now awaits the signature of President Yoweri Museveni.
Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, and his allies regularly accuse domestic political rivals of receiving funding from abroad and pushing what they say are foreign agendas such as LGBTQ rights.
Several Ugandan opposition parties have traditionally received some of their funding from outside the country.
Rights groups say the law’s broad language could allow the government to criminalise almost any form of political opposition. The government has accused critics of exaggerating the bill’s impact.
Uganda’s Central Bank Governor had warned last week that the legislation would diminish financial flows into the country and risk running down foreign exchange reserves.
The World Bank halted new lending to Uganda in 2023 after the government enacted a harsh anti-homosexuality law. Funding was resumed two years later after authorities agreed to some compromises.
Source: Reuters
