The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Law Society has taken the Ugandan government to the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) over its decision to indefinitely suspend several civil society organisations (CSOs), arguing that the directive violates regional treaty obligations on governance, democracy, rule of law, and human rights.
Filed before the First Instance Division in Arusha, the case names the Attorney General of Uganda as the respondent. The lawyers’ umbrella body contends that the government acted unlawfully and without due process when halting the operations of multiple NGOs earlier this year.
According to the filing, the Attorney General communicated the decision through a letter dated January 9, 2026, citing intelligence reports that several NGOs were engaged in activities deemed prejudicial to Uganda’s security and laws.
The directive ordered the organisations to cease operations immediately while government investigations were conducted. Among the organisations affected are Chapter Four Uganda, African Centre for Media Excellence, Agora Centre for Research, National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Uganda, Alliance for Finance Monitoring, Centre for Constitutional Governance, Human Rights Network for Journalists, Uganda National NGO Forum, Network of Public Interest Lawyers, and the African Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims.
The government also instructed the Uganda Police Force, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau, and the Uganda Bankers Association to halt all engagements and financial transactions with the affected NGOs.
The Uganda Law Society argues that the suspension was irrational, procedurally improper, and issued without allowing the organisations to respond.
In its reference, the society cites Articles 6(d) and 7(2) of the East African Community Treaty, which obligate partner states to uphold good governance, democracy, rule of law, and human rights.
Anthony Asiimwe, ULS Vice President and advocate of the High Court, swore an affidavit stating that several executive directors of the suspended organisations were never summoned or allowed to respond to the allegations.
He also notes that more than two months after the suspension, none of the NGOs has had its permit reinstated, despite a February 19, 2026, letter to the Attorney General requesting its lifting.
Through the case, the lawyers’ body is asking the regional court to: Declare the government’s suspension unlawful and contrary to the EAC treaty, compel the government to respect regional and international obligations on freedom of association, lift the suspension of the NGOs and stop enforcing the directive affecting their operations and finances, and award costs of the case against the government.
This is not the first time some of these organisations have faced closure. In 2021, Chapter Four Uganda successfully challenged a government directive that suspended its operations for investigations, with then-Civil Division Judge Musa Ssekaana (now Constitutional Court Justice) ruling that indefinite suspensions without a clear timeframe are irregular and not rationally justified.
The 2026 suspension, imposed on the eve of the January 15 elections, marks the second closure of Chapter Four Uganda.
The Government of Uganda, represented by Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka, has 45 days to file its defense before the matter is scheduled for hearing at the Tanzania-based court.
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