SPEAKER AMONG: Ugandan NGOs promote homosexuality, facilitate money laundering

Speaker Anita Among has asked MPs to debate with caution the proposal by government to dissolve the National Bureau of NGOs and have it mainstreamed as a Department in the Ministry of Internal Affairs

According to Among, NGOs operating in Uganda are being used to promote homosexuality and carry out money laundering.

She urged MPs to be careful when talking about NGOs, saying that “this is where money is being laundered into the country, and it’s how homosexuality money is coming into the country.”

Parliament also approved the mainstreaming of the National Bureau for NGOs as a department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with MPs accusing the current staff of the NGO Bureau of orchestrating bureaucracy, which has hampered the monitoring of activities of NGOs in Uganda.

Peter Okeyoh (Bukooli Island) while backing the proposal informed MPs that Shs4.4billion was given to the NGOs’ Bureau for its activities, but of this, Shs3.4billion was spent on rent.

“I think that mainstreaming is very important and it will improve the national objective of this country. When you allow NGOs to operate separate from the State, then you will find that the objective of our nation, protection of our people will be muddled through. So, to me I think mainstreaming is very critical and it should be allowed,” he said.

However, Sarah Opendi, the Tororo Woman district representative, raised queries on the failure by the Government to highlight how the mainstreaming of the NGO Bureau would impact on the current staff.

She revealed that some NGOs that have been operating and doing things that are contrary to Uganda’s own values and cultures, but she believes police and other agencies have been dealing with those other NGOs.

“My concern is that there is dual registration, most of the NGOs register with the NGO Bureau but also register with Uganda Registration Service Bureau and the certificate of financial implication that was issued doesn’t tell us how much we are going to save. So, I find the certificate of financial implication defective because it doesn’t tell us the actual cost of this rationalization,” she added.

Christine Kaaya (Kiboga District Woman Representative) remarked, “We are battling with the issue of timely inspection when you look at the NGOs that have annoyed us, that bring in funny money, it will be difficult for timely inspection of their activities and fake monies. We should be strengthening them (NGOs) to ensure that they maintain their watchdog function.”

Asuman Basalirwa from Bugiri Municipality said he is not so sure whether Uganda has many experiences dealing with NGO Bureau, saying that getting licenses, information or renewal from the NGO Bureau is extremely difficult.

“The fact that the basic things are being a challenge in that Bureau, I don’t think its stay is still justified. If the government is saying they have capacity to accommodate an agency as a department, within its systems and procedures, who are you to say no, that will not happen?

The Non-governmental organization Bureau (NGO BUREAU) has been in charge of registering, regulating, monitoring, inspecting, coordinating and overseeing all NGO operations in the country.