UGANDA NGO BAN LIFTED! Minister Kamuntu Orders Reopening Of Suspended NGOs In Two Weeks, Irish Envoy Thrilled
The directive has been welcomed by Ireland's Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Mags Gaynor, who described the development as “excellent news”.
KAMPALA – There is fresh hope for several civil society organisations whose operations were suspended by the Government after Internal Affairs Minister Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu ordered a review of their cases and set a two-week deadline for reopening those that have resolved their outstanding issues.
The directive has been welcomed by Ireland’s Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Mags Gaynor, who described the development as “excellent news”.
Gaynor, who also serves as Ireland’s Ambassador to Rwanda, reacted to the Tuesday, November 10, announcement in a post on the Embassy’s official X (formerly Twitter) account.
Kamuntu issued the directive during a Quarterly Dialogue Meeting involving the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and leaders of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
The meeting, hosted by Human Rights Centre Uganda in partnership with the National Bureau for NGOs, brought together government and civil society representatives to discuss the challenges affecting the operations of NGOs in the country.
In a significant shift, Kamuntu directed the NGO Bureau to stop treating the affected organisations as one blanket category and instead examine each case individually.
“I have directed the NGO Bureau to handle the affected organisations on a case-by-case basis and establish a clear path towards resolving the matter,” Kamuntu said.
He added that he had given the Bureau two weeks, starting from the day of his announcement (November 10, 2026), to facilitate the reopening of organisations whose issues had been resolved.
The minister’s intervention offers a possible breakthrough for organisations that have spent months unable to operate following regulatory action by the NGO Bureau.
The affected organisations include prominent civil society and human rights groups such as Chapter Four Uganda, Alliance for Election Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-U), National NGO Forum, Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders and African Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (ACTV).
The suspensions were announced on January 9, 2026, ahead of the January 15 general elections.
At the time, the NGO Bureau cited Section 42(d) of the NGO Act, alleging that the organisations were involved in activities prejudicial to national security and Uganda’s laws.
The directives required the affected organisations to halt operations, with enforcement measures including police intervention and freezing of bank accounts.
The crackdown attracted criticism from human rights organisations and international watchdogs, with concerns raised about the impact of the suspensions on civic space, freedom of association and the ability of human rights defenders to operate.
The matter also attracted parliamentary and legal scrutiny, with questions raised about the continued closure of the organisations.
Kamuntu’s latest directive now places the NGO Bureau under pressure to examine the outstanding issues and expedite the reopening of organisations that have met the necessary requirements.
However, the minister’s announcement does not amount to an unconditional reopening of all suspended organisations. Each case will be assessed individually, and only those whose issues have been resolved are covered by the two-week reopening timeline.
For the affected organisations, the next two weeks could therefore prove decisive in determining whether they finally return to business after months in regulatory limbo.
DIPLOMATIC THUMBS-UP!
Ireland’s Ambassador Mags Gaynor’s reaction adds an international diplomatic endorsement to the announcement, with her description of the development as “excellent news” signalling the importance attached to the operating environment for civil society organisations.
The latest development could also provide an opportunity for renewed engagement between government and civil society leaders on regulatory compliance, accountability and the protection of civic space in Uganda.
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