Ugandans slam 'Sovereignty Bill' as mimicking Russian 'foreign agents' law

A proposed Ugandan law has been fiercely criticised by rights groups, journalists and businesses for replicating the language of "foreign agents" used in a Russian law aimed at silencing dissent.

The east African country has been under the increasingly authoritarian rule of President Yoweri Museveni for 40 years.

The 81-year-old was re-elected in January amid a days-long internet shutdown and repression of the opposition that forced his main opponent, Bobi Wine, into hiding.

Critics say the new "Protection of Sovereignty Bill" adds a new weapon to be used against political opponents.

It criminalises anything that promotes the "interests of a foreigner against the interests of Uganda" and allows anyone receiving money from abroad to be labelled a "foreign agent."

Those convicted face sentences of up to 20 years in prison.

The bill even defines Ugandans abroad as "foreigners" — a breach of the constitution, rights groups say — threatening thousands in the diaspora who send funds back to their families.

The text is due before parliament next week.

It is likely to be waved through given the dominance of Museveni loyalists, despite widespread criticism from civil society and even members of the ruling party.

"This bill has been opposed by almost all segments of society," said Mwesigwa Rukutana, a former deputy attorney general and finance minister.

"My advice is... to do widespread consultations to improve on it, to make it less toxic — or better still, shelve it," he added.

Human Rights Watch said it "mimics" laws passed in Russia and allied countries, using deliberately vague terms that can be applied to any campaigner deemed a nuisance.

"From Russia to Nicaragua, these laws are never about protecting the people," added Job Kiija, deputy director of Innovations for Democratic Engagement and Action, a Ugandan think tank.

"They are about protecting the regime from its own citizens," he told AFP.

'Stupid and ridiculous'

Lawyer and activist Agather Atuhaire told AFP the bill was "stupid and ridiculous to the point that it will collapse the entire economy."

She pointed out that it would make the government itself a foreign agent given the donor support it receives.

Even bankers and the private sector have weighed in.

"We run a risk of reducing substantially the inflows into Uganda [and] reversing three decades of successful financial development," central bank governor Michael Atingi-Ego told parliament.

Museveni was forced to intervene on Thursday, saying the bill should be revised to make sure it does not restrict capital flows, although he defended the idea of restricting political ideas seen as foreign.

"Independence means the right to make our own mistakes if necessary and learn from them," he said on X.

"Do not fund groups to influence our decisions as a country."