Museveni Clarifies Sovereignty Bill Won't Harm Investments or Remittances

President Yoweri Museveni addressed misconceptions about the proposed Protection of Sovereignty Bill, 2026, emphasizing it protects Uganda’s policy autonomy without disrupting the nation’s open economy.

In a statement released on Thursday, Museveni linked the bill to Africa’s fight against over 400 years of colonization since 1900, excluding Ethiopia. He stressed that true sovereignty allows citizens to shape political, social, economic, and diplomatic decisions freely, without foreign funding influencing them.

Quoting Tanzania’s late Julius Nyerere, Museveni said independence means the right to make and learn from one’s own mistakes. He urged outsiders to ‘leave us alone’ in national decision-making, citing Uganda’s Constitution—Articles 1(4), 59, and 68—which places power with the people through elections and referenda.

Museveni rejected claims the bill curbs foreign direct investment, diaspora remittances exceeding $1.3 billion yearly, or support for religious and social groups. ‘That is not the bill I initiated,’ he clarified, affirming the National Resistance Movement’s commitment to capital freedom as key to growth.

Responding to backlash from civil society, businesses, and partners, Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka announced revisions exempting Bank of Uganda-regulated institutions, licensed schools and hospitals, and religious bodies. Parliament now weighs these changes against constitutional duties for peace and good governance.

Museveni also criticized identity politics based on ethnicity or religion, pushing for interest-based politics centered on economic progress.

Source: The Observer (Uganda)