Gov’t Cancels Licenses Of 13 NGOs Over Links To People Power, Opposition Parties

By Andrew Irumba

The government of Uganda has Thursday canceled the licenses of 13 Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) over allegations that they are channeling money to MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine’s People Power pressure group and other opposition politicians.

SpyUganda has learnt that cancellation of the said licenses came after the Financial Intelligence Authority established that the affected NGS have been allegedly funding opposition leaders and demonstrating University students, although they purported to help the needy and fight for human rights.

The affected NGOS include:

1. Action Aid International Uganda.
2. Citizen’s Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda.
3. Alliance for Campaign Finance Monitoring.
4. Anti-corruption Coalition Uganda.
5. National Non-governmental organization Forum.
6. Human Rights Network Uganda.
7. National Democratic Institute.
8. Great Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies
9. Foundation for Human Rights Initiative.
10. Democratic Governance Facility.
11. Kick Corruption Out of Uganda and others.

Reliable sources reveal that resolution to decline renewing licenses for the affected NGOS was reached at last week during a security meeting between Ministry of Internal Affairs and sister security agencies.

Sources also added that during the high level security meeting, 13 NGOS were ordered to declare their source of income, funders and other necessary documents before their licenses could be renewed, condition most of these NGOs are yet to fulfill.

“These NGO’s have been getting money from foreign countries but they have been diverting it to other political groups like funding opposition groups to destabilize government,” a security source told this website on condition of anonymity.

It should be recalled that last Thursday the Executive Director Financial Intelligence (FIA) Authority Sydney Asubo wrote a letter to the Managing Director Equity bank ordering them to avail with the Authority with all necessary account documents, financial statements, payrolls and other necessary informations regarding the financial acquisition and transactions of several NGOs in Uganda.
It is the intelligence gathered by the FIA that could have helped goverment to reach the decision of to cancel licenses for these NGOs, which have been operating in Uganda for decades, many of which are funded by donors.