National Bureau Of NGOs Should Be Under The Ministry Of Internal Affairs-Parliament

Parliament has approved the mainstreaming of the National Bureau for Non Government Organisations(NGOs) as a department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with some legislators accusing the current staff of the NGO Bureau of orchestrating bureaucracy which has hampered the monitoring of activities of NGOs in Uganda.

 The report of the Committee on Internal Affairs has supported the mainstreaming of National Bureau of NGO where it proposed that the appointment of the members to the Bureau should be done by the Permanent Secretary, not the minister as proposed by the Bill.

Speakerof parliament Rt Hon.Anita Among had asked MPs to debate with caution this proposal by Gov’t to dissolve the National Bureau of NGOs and have it mainstreamed as a Department in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, saying that NGOs operating in Uganda are being used to promote homosexuality and carry out money laundering.

 “I want you people to be very careful when you are talking about NGOs, this is where money is being laundered into the country, this is how homosexuality money is coming into the country,”

However,Hon. Kahonda read the minority report objecting the idea of mainstreaming this National Bureau fo NGOs.

 ''The National Bureau for NGOs should be excluded from rationalisation because mainstreaming it into the Ministry as a department would jeopardise the already built capacity and potentially compromise the country’s national security'' He advised the house.

Hon 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.”

"I am not so sure whether we have many experiences dealing with NGO Bureau, 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 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?” Bugiri Municipality MP Hon. Asuman Basalirwa noted

Hon.Sarah Opendi the Tororo District woman  representative accused police over dealing with some NGOs that are operating and doing their activities that are contrary to Uganda's values and Culture. ''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.

Anothe Legislator stated that When you allow NGOs to operate separate from the State, then you will find that the objective of the nation, protection of the people will be muddled through and supported the Bill.

Hon.Peter Okeyoh representing Bukooli Island in Parliament while backing the proposal to mainstream NGO Bureau to the Ministry of Internal Affairs informed MPs that Shs4.4bn was given to the NGOs' Bureau for its activities, but of this, Shs3.4bn was spent on rent.