President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the suspension of a multimillion-dollar fund backed by European nations that supports the work of local groups focusing on democracy and good governance.
In a letter to the finance minister Matia Kasaija, Museveni said that money withdrawn from the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) has been “used to finance activities and organizations designed to subvert Government under the guise of improving governance.”
The President also noted that he was never consulted on the establishment of the fund with cash reserves of up to £100 million and “operated exclusively by a foreign mission” in the East African country.
“This is not the financing of a private business but the funding of state and non-state actors to achieve the political objectives of the funders in Uganda,” he wrote in the letter dated Jan. 2. He also ordered the suspension of the fund’s activities until his cabinet reviews the matter and a new oversight board featuring Ugandans is installed.
Its suspension could have a dramatic impact as it helps finance many grass-roots organisations that focus on democracy and human rights.
Here are the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) going to be affected by DGF suspension:
1.ActionAid International-Uganda (AAIU)
2. Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (Acode)
3. African Center for Media Excellence (ACME)
4.Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC)
5.African Centre for Energy and Mineral Policy (ACEMP)
6.African Centre for Trade and Development (ACTADE)
7.African Centre for Treatment & Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (ACTV)
8.African Leadership Institute (AFLI)
9.African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET)
10.Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA)
11.Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM)
12.Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders’ Initiative for Community Action on AIDS at the Local Level (AMICAALL)
13.Amuria District Development Agency (ADDA)
14.Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU)
15.Center for Governance and Economic Development (CEGED)
16.Centre for Basic Research (CBR)
17.Centre for Women in Governance (CEWIGO)
18.Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG)
19.Community Driven Network Uganda (CODNET)
20.Community Integrated Development Initiative (CIDI)
21.Ecological Christian Organization (ECO)
22.Food Rights Alliance (FRA)
23.Global Rights Alert (GRA)
24.Gulu Women Economic Development and Globalisation (GWED-G)
25.Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-U)
26.Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER)
27.International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ)
28.Justice Defenders
29.Kabarole Research & Resource Centre (KRC)
30.Kapchorwa Civil Society Organisation Alliance (KACSOA)
31.Kind Initiative for Development (KIND-UG)
32.Kituo Cha Katiba: Eastern Africa Centre for Constitutional Development (KcK)
33.Legal Aid Service Providers Network (LASPNET)
34.Maendeleo ya Jamii (MYJ)
35.Muslim Centre for Justice Law (MCJL)
36.National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders Uganda (NCHRD-U)
37.Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy Uganda (NIMD)
38.Penal Reform International (PRI)
39.Platform for Labour Action (PLA)
40.Restless Development Uganda (RD)
41.Rwenzori Anti-Corruption Coalition (RAC)
42.Rwenzori Forum for Peace and Justice (RFPJ)
43.Teso Anti-Corruption Coalition (TAC)
44.Teso Religious Leaders Efforts for Peace and Reconciliation (TERELEPAR)
45.The Apac Anti-Corruption Coalition (TAACC)
46.The Human Rights Centre Uganda (HRCU)
47.The Women’s International Peace Centre (WIPC)
48. Transparency International Uganda (TIU)
49.Uganda Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA-UGANDA)
50.Uganda Debt Network (UDN)
51.Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC)
52.Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA)
53.Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF)
54.Uganda Project Implementation & Management Centre (UPIMAC)
55.Uganda Radio Network (URN)
56.Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET)
57.Westminister Foundation For Democracy (WFD)
58.Wizarts Foundation (Wizart)
59.World Voices Uganda (WVU)
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