By Ebuka Onyekwelu, Ph.D
The East African country of Uganda, on Tuesday, passed a law to control foreign influence in the country. The law, tagged “Protection of Sovereignty Bill 2026”, has been interpreted by many as controversial, given its criminalization of acts interpreted as promoting or prioritizing foreign interests above those of Uganda. With this law, Uganda tends to be shaping up into a fascist state. Uganda is governed by 81-year-old Yoweri Museveni, who has now led the country for over 40 years.
The law, which incriminates conduct deemed as a contravention of Uganda’s interests, provides for punishment for offenders for up to 20 years in jail upon conviction. Some offenders under the law would also get as much as 10 years imprisonment. Also, the law intends to protect the country from undue influence in the politics of the country by foreign interests using NGOs and other means.
However, a statement by the Parliament of Uganda on Wednesday noted that the law reflects broad consultation which resulted in some amendments to the Bill before passage into law. “The Protection of Sovereignty Bill, 2026 adopt(ed) amendments that significantly narrow its scope, remove contentious provisions and introduce safeguards aimed at aligning the law with the Constitution and existing regulatory frameworks,” a part of the statement reads.
Also, during the passage of the Bill, the Chairperson of the Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs, Hon. Wilson Kajwengye, observed that due amendments to the Bill were made to enhance application. “The amendments are intended to harmonise the definitions with the scope of the Bill to limit the application of the law to only agents of foreigners and not any other person,” Hon. Wilson read in his report.
