Africa-Press – Uganda. On a January 2 letter, President Museveni directed the immediate shut down of the activities of Democratic Governance Facility (DGF). DGF is the biggest donor fund in Uganda. It runs with support of seven countries Australia, Denmark, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the European Union.
It supports a number of organisation raging from Uganda Media Women Association, Uganda Law Society, JLOS, ACODE, and CSBAG, among others. It has also been instrumental in empowering women to participate in politics, offering free legal services, helping in drafting national Budgets and various activities that have contributed greatly to the development of our country.
DGF has been known for its role in harmomomising and coordinating support to State and non-State partners to strength democracy, protect human rights, improve justice and enhance accountability in Uganda.
To achieve such a goal, it has been working with the mentioned organisations, other non-State actors and state actors that play a critical role in developing society, improving communities and promoting citizen participation.
These DGF funded-actors and others have deducted their efforts to protecting human rights and ending human rights abuses in the country. They are working for the benefit of the people and creating awareness in them.
Generally, NGOs and CSOs are funded by law under the Non-Governmental Organisation Act of 2016 and NGO Regulations of 2017, whose mandate is to promote public interest and serve the public good rather than to make profit or advance the interests of a narrow group of individuals. Their independence enables them to monitor government performance and advocate for improvements.
Therefore, CSOs, NGOs and other non-State actors, help and support citizens ensuring that their voices are heard. They advise policy makers, assist in legislative drafting and support authorities in decision making to ensure that policies respond to the needs of citizens. That oversight role hold authorities for their actions.
Therefore, blocking their funding is a backstabbing and a violation of their legitimate powers they are funded because it is done on baseless accusations that their activities are subverting government activities. Shutting down the activities of DGF is not only blockage of the activities of the actors they fund, but also a detriment of service to the people of Uganda and its environment. These organisations reach deep down to the ordinary person and extends services.
They bail out citizens whose rights have been violated by the authorities. A case in point is the people who were compulsorily displaced by the government on oil refinery land in Hoima, who are still in court against government since 2014. They are demanding for fair and adequate compensation. They are being represented by Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO).
Last year, part of Bugoma forest, which is supposed to be protected by the government, was illegally given away by Nema basing on inadequate Environment Social Impact Assessment. It is AFIEGO and other environmental organisations trying to rescue it from encroachers. These organisations are so much underrated, but they play a great role in the inclusiveness and development of Uganda.
The suspension of DGF is, therefore, more of waging a war against the space of non-state actors and it should be stopped. The powers and independent oversight of non-State actors should be given the respect it deserves because it is funded on law enacted by the Parliament of Uganda.
Mr Edgar Buryahika Kavindi is the founder, Youth for Peace and Development Uganda. [email protected]
