The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party has urged President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to withhold assent to the proposed Protection of Sovereignty Bill, 2026, and return it to Parliament for further scrutiny, broader consultation, and reconsideration.
Parliament passed the bill on May 5th, 2026, during the plenary sitting at the Parliament of Uganda.
UPC Head of Communications Faizo Muzeyi, as he addressed journalists at the party headquarters at Uganda House on Wednesday, May 6th, 2026, delivered a statement issued by the Party Spokesperson, Sharon Arach Oyat.
While reaffirming UPC’s commitment to Uganda’s independence and national sovereignty, the party cautioned that the legislation in its current form risks undermining the very objectives it seeks to protect.
“The UPC therefore respectfully calls upon His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, pursuant to Article 91(3)(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, to withhold assent to the Bill and return it to Parliament for further scrutiny, wider consultation, and reconsideration,” the statement read in part.
UPC argued that genuine sovereignty rests on strong institutions, economic resilience, constitutional legitimacy, and public trust.
It criticized the bill’s broad and ambiguous provisions, saying they could unintentionally criminalize legitimate international engagement, discourage investment and economic cooperation, undermine academic and civil exchange, and create uncertainty within Uganda’s financial and legal environment.
At a time of rising living costs, unemployment, and economic pressure, the party said such a law could weaken investor confidence and isolate Uganda from regional and global markets.
Faizo told journalists that the bill contains gaps that violate citizens’ rights and was rejected by over 90 percent of stakeholders, including the Bank of Uganda, National Intelligence Authority, and other government institutions, during joint committee hearings.
UPC cited constitutional concerns over legal certainty, proportionality, freedom of association and expression, and Uganda’s international treaty obligations. It pointed to precedents where the president returned bills for review, including the Anti-Homosexuality Act (2023), Minimum Wages Bill (2019), and NSSF Amendment Bill (2021).
The party called for a national dialogue involving Parliament, political parties, civil society, legal scholars, religious leaders, the business community, and other stakeholders.
“Uganda must never confuse isolation with independence, nor legislation with strength. Durable sovereignty is secured through national unity, constitutional legitimacy, economic confidence, and strong institutions that command the trust of the people,” the statement read.
UPC remained committed to a sovereign, democratic, prosperous, and inclusive Uganda.
