Uganda enacts new law to protect sovereignty despite opposition

Uganda’s president, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has signed into law forbiding foreign interference in the country despite warnings from different concerned parties.

Museveni, 81, has always accused mainly the opposition and other NGOs of receiving funding from abroad with the intent to destabilize the East African nation.

The “Protection of Sovereignty” bill, passed by the parliament earlier this month, intends to criminalize the promotion of foreign interests at the expense of Uganda’s interests.

The law, which carries a maximum imprisonment of 10 years, also bans anyone from implementing or developing policies without government approval.

The bill has sparked widespread concern among rights groups, journalists and sections of the private sector, who say it could undermine freedoms and deter investment in the East African nation.

“This bill has been opposed by almost all segments of society,” said Mwesigwa Rukutana, a former deputy attorney general and finance minister.

“My advice is… to do widespread consultations to improve on it, to make it less toxic — or better still, shelve it,” he added.

Human Rights Watch said it “mimics” laws passed in Russia and allied countries, using deliberately vague terms that can be applied to any campaigner deemed a nuisance.