Amuriat said citizens from across civil society, academia, and political groups presented a united front before Parliament’s joint committees, with the majority rejecting the bill.

“He distanced himself from curtailing religious institutions being funded and was silent about the political parties and cultural institutions, which remain victims of the proposed protection of sovereignty bill 2026. Which means his fight is against political parties and cultural groups,” Lulume said.

According to Amuriat, the Electoral Commission had set nominations for May 25th-26th, 2026, and polling for June 10th to fill the vacancy left by the late chairperson Peter Banura.

Kizza Besigye, a prominent Ugandan opposition leader and former presidential candidate, was arrested in November 2024 and subsequently faced charges in both military and civilian courts. He remains in detention on charges relating to treason and the alleged planning of illegal acts to overthrow the government.

President Yoweri Museveni has offered fresh guidance on the contentious Protection of Sovereignty Bill, distancing himself from some of its proposed approaches and urging...

Oyat argued that the proposed law duplicates existing legislation, including the NGO Act, the Anti-Money Laundering Act, and the Political Parties and Organizations Act, while introducing sweeping provisions that could undermine citizens’ rights.

According to FDC’s legal team, several clauses violate the 1995 Constitution, including redefining diaspora citizens as foreigners and criminalizing opposition activity. The party further argued that the bill duplicates existing laws and risks economic disruption by restricting foreign funding.