NGO Bureau Boss Sued Over Arbitrary Suspension of Civil Society Groups

Stephen Okello, the Secretary of the National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO Bureau), has been taken to the High Court over the continued closure of several civil society groups. Lawyer Michael Aboneka has filed a petition accusing Okello of acting outside his mandate by suspending these NGOs without following legal procedures.

Aboneka claims that at the time of the suspensions in January 2026, the NGO Bureau was not properly constituted, meaning Okello acted unilaterally. The petition further alleges that these actions disregarded the law, the constitutional right to a fair hearing, and the principles of natural justice. The indefinite suspension of these organizations is also argued to be in contempt of a previous court ruling.

The lawsuit is a response to the NGO Bureau’s decision on January 9, 2026, to suspend at least 10 prominent civil society and election-monitoring organizations. The government cited intelligence reports alleging that these groups were involved in activities detrimental to national security.

Among the affected organizations were Chapter Four Uganda, Alliance for Election Finance Monitoring, Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-U), the National NGO Forum, and the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders. Each received a suspension letter citing intelligence linking them to activities contrary to Ugandan law and posing a threat to national security.

Aboneka argues that these indefinite suspensions lacked legal backing and have not allowed the affected organizations a chance to defend themselves. He asserts that the continued closure infringes upon citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of association and participation in governance. Furthermore, the suspension of organizations providing legal aid has hampered access to justice for vulnerable individuals.

The petitioner is seeking a court declaration that Okello’s actions were illegal and unlawful. He also wants a declaration that the suspension violates the fundamental right to access justice and an injunction to prevent Okello from taking similar actions without a properly constituted NGO Bureau.

As of reporting, Okello had not filed his defense, and the High Court had not yet scheduled a hearing for the case. This case highlights significant concerns regarding the operational autonomy of civil society organizations in Uganda.