Govt, NGOs hold summit to streamline operations

_____________

The Government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on Wednesday (May 29, 2024) convened the inaugural Talk to Your Regulator summit to harmonise operations.

The NGOs used the occasion to ask the government to ensure effective financing of district NGOs monitoring committees (DNMCs).

The committees, among others, are mandated to do background checks and evaluations of NGOs before they are cleared for operation permits by the National Non-Government Organisations (NGO) Bureau. 

They are chaired by the district internal security officers (DISOs).

Dr. Stephen Okello, the Executive Director NGO Bureau (R), responds to questions raised by participants during the annual Talk to Your Regulator summit at Kampala Serena Hotel on Wednesday, May 29, 2024. Left is KCCA's Godwin Gumisiriza. (All Photos by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)

At the talk arranged by the Defenders Protection Initiative, with support from the Germany Development Co-operation (GIZ), European Union, and Civic Advisory Hub, at Kampala Serena Hotel, some members of the civil society fraternity, through a report, claimed that the committees ask to be funded before executing their mandate.

The summit was, among others, graced by representatives from the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA), Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) and the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).

Funding challenges

Reviewing study findings titled: Cultivating Trust to Improve Not-For-Profit Organisations (NPO) Sector Governance in Uganda: 2024 A National NPO Regulatory Authorities Survey, Dr James Nkuubi, a research fellow at Civic Advisory Hub, highlighted that the DNMCs clearly face financial challenges to effectively undertake their statutory obligations.

Dr. James Nkuubi, the Reserch Fellow-Civic Advisory Hub Executive Director, NETPIL.

The committees convene periodically to receive, consider, and recommend NGOs/CBOs related businesses.

“These challenges have exposed the DNMCs to vulnerability to the extent that they seek financial assistance from the entities they are mandated to monitor and supervise. The NGOs/CBOs, expectedly interpret this as corruption,” Nkuubi said.

While quoting a survey participant from Gulu district, Nkuubi added that sometimes NGOs and CBOs at the district have often been asked to fund the DNMCs sittings, and yet it is not the mandate of the NGOs to do that.

“In West Nile [region], unless you finance the DNMC, they will not sit,” one of the male survey participants was quoted telling the survey.

The DNMCs were commenced by the Government in March 2016 after the NGO Act was passed and commenced by the internal affairs minister on March 14, 2026.

Margaret Ssekajja, the Executive Director Human Rights Centre-Uganda (seated left) interacts with Alicia Van Den Boom, the Head of Cooperation, German Embassy during the Annual Talk to Your Regulator Summit at Kampala Serena Hotel on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.)

However, the Government is currently in the process of reforming the Act though it was temporarily halted pending rationalisation of state agencies.

A lot need to be done

The executive director of the National Bureau for NGOs, Stephen Okello, admitted that these committees lacked enough funds while others lacked knowledge of what they are supposed to do.

“I agree that there is a lot that needs to be done with these committees even before you give them the money, you need to build their capacity on what they are supposed to do. If you start by giving them the money, as it is being requested, you are going to give to individuals who do not understand the right thing to do,” Okello said.

According to welfare and community services KCCA, Godwin Gumisiriza, ruled out any tendencies of asking for money from NGOs at City Hall before being issued with the recommendation letter to the NGO Bureau for the issuance of the permit of operation.

“Daily, we receive a number of applications at the City Hall and at the Divisions level and we ensure that we visit the ground to eliminate briefcase NGOs,” he said.

Why the series started

Yona Wanjala, the Defenders Protection Initiative team leader, said what encouraged them to start the Talk to Your Regulator series that climaxed into the inaugural summit was to create trust between the NGOs and the regulators.

“We had a study and discovered that there was a gap in compliance. That’s why we started to bridge the knowledge gap agenda by talking to regulators. There was a trust deficit between regulators which among others affected compliance,” Wanjala said.

The head of the Germany Development Cooperation, Alicia Van Den Boom, officiating as the chief guest revealed the Germany and the European Union commitment to supporting government and civil society initiatives that ensure effective service of the people.

“For Germany and the European Union (EU), thinking is very important. Dialogue is crucial for the functioning of the state,” she said.

Yona Wanjala, Team Leader, Defenders Protection Initiative (DPI).

NGOs also expressed fears of tough government scrutiny, intimidation, and harassment, and the country braces for the next general elections.

However, according to Lazarus Mukasa, the deputy executive director at FIA, their role is to facilitate the NGOs to grow but not intimidate.

“That’s why we have not sanctioned any NGO for not complying as expected,” he said.

He noted that their study has since established that many NGOs/CBOs were at low risk of being used as conduits to finance terrorism save for a few especially those that run the Madrasa programmes which are coded as high risk.

According to Mukasa, they have since signed a memorandum of understanding with the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) to address some of such gaps.