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Citizen Posts
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From the onset, the Protection of Sovereignty Bill 2026 elicited mixed reactions even before it was tabled in parliament for it’s first reading. The bill was presented before parliament by the Minister of State for Internal Affairs Gen. David Muhoozi, after tabling it before parliament, speaker Anita Among immediately sent it to two committees the Defense and Internal Affairs together with the Committee on Legal and parliamentary affairs.
Parliament would later publish notices giving Ugandans and the different state holders 10 days to submit in their submissions in regards to the bill and it’s provisions which have proved to be contentious with majority of Ugandans from Political parties, Banks, Civil Society organizations, Bank of Uganda, Religious leaders all opposing it.
Majority of those who have appeared the committee processing this bill have opposed some sections and others have rejected it entirely telling government to withdraw it saying it spells doom and hard times ahead for Ugandans.
However, they’re some Ugandans especially those aligned to the NRM including new recruit Yusuf Nsibambi who have embraced the bill in it’s entirety saying it’s very good for Uganda’s independence to make it’s own decisions and policies without interference from foreigners. This had also defined Ugandans leaving outside Uganda as foreigners.
President Museveni has this evening via his socials addressed the concerns in this contentious bill and clearly indicated that the bill before parliament is not what he initiated. He distanced himself from the bill claiming his NRM parliament doesn’t intend to make business and lives of Ugandans hard through such draconian provisions.
“Therefore, the NRM cannot countenance the interference with the freedom of movement of capital and money into or out of Uganda because that is our insurance against the corrupt public servants and politicians and our main instrument for growth and social-economic transformation. Uganda has thrived in spite of those traitors because of that policy”-says Museveni in a statement
Owing to the backlash the bill has received in the last one week, the president has instead directed the government Chief Hamson Obua and chairpersons of the two committees processing the bill to withdraw the current version of the bill and refine it to how he wanted it to be. This now reduces the chances of the bill being passed by this 11th parliament whose term is ending in less than two weeks.
“I have talked to Hon. Hamson Obua and the Chairpersons of the relevant Parliamentary Committees to make the Bill concentrate on the Sovereignty of policy-decision-making and not to meander in the areas of freedom of Private enterprise transfers or private money transfers or church donations”-Museveni further says.
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