CONCLUSION:
The Committee reviewed the Bill and made proposals deemed fit to achieve the set objectives of RAPEX. However, it is noteworthy that the Third National Development Plan outlines Civil Society as a significant sector in the country, with NGOs constituting a significant part of achieving Vision 2040. The National Bureau for NGOs is the only regulator that needs to be fully empowered to make timely decisions and interventions in the affairs of NGOs in the country. Mainstreaming it into a department in the Ministry will be counter-productive and contrary to the original position of government streamlining the NGO sector, whose activities are global and dynamic. This could result in far-reaching political, financial, social, security, and economic consequences on the well-being of Ugandans.
Therefore, the Committee minority report strongly calls upon Parliament to reject the proposals of the Non-Governmental Organisations (Amendment) Bill 2024 in its entirety.