Rationalisation of the Non-Government Organisations Bureau

Brief Background to Rationalization

On 22nd, February 2021, the Government of Uganda through Cabinet Minute No. 43 (CT 2021), resolved to amalgamate, mainstream and rationalize Government Agencies, Departments and Public Expenditure to enable efficient and effective service delivery. Presented as justification, was the need to 'create institutional harmony, eliminate functional duplication overlaps, and curb the high cost of administering the agencies.' 1 One of such agencies presented for rationalization, was the NGO-Bureau, proposed to have its functions being mainstreamed into the Ministry of Internal Affairs through the amendment of the Non-Governmental Organisations Act 2016. On Tuesday 23 April 2024, the Parliament of Uganda, passed the NGO (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Through this yet to be assented to law by the President, the mandate to monitor, oversee and regulate the operations of the NGOs/CSOs/CBOs was returned back to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to be exercised at departmental level.

It is worth note that the NGO sector is recognized by the Government as part of the National Development Plan where in, the entire civil society is presented as the third sector in the country, which too has a significant contribution to the achievement of the various development targets, including more prominently Uganda's Vision 2040. Thus, the NGO sector, collectively, brings into the Country/economy, approximately 4.5 Trillion shillings annually through grants and donations, for both development and humanitarian assistance.