KAMPALA, UGANDA – Uganda’s National Bureau for NGOs has ordered the prominent rights group Chapter Four Uganda to cease operations, suspending its permit over allegations of activities that threaten national security and violate the law.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This was confirmed in a letter dated January 9, 2026, signed by Dr. Stephen Okello, the Executive Director of the NGO Bureau, addressed to the Executive Director of Chapter Four Uganda and copied to high-level state officials.
The Bureau’s letter stated that it acted upon intelligence information implicating the organization in breaches of Section 42(d) of the NGO Act.
Citing the sensitivity and national security implications of the allegations, the letter confirmed the start of investigations and mandated an immediate halt to all operations.
The suspension letter directs the Inspector General of Police to ensure compliance, notifies the Registrar General, and advises the Executive Director of the Uganda Bankers Association to inform banks of the development a move that could freeze the organization’s financial operations.
The notice adds that the investigation will conclude within a reasonable time and the organization will be given an opportunity to be heard, though it cites only broad security concerns without detailing specific allegations.
Civil society observers have expressed alarm over the move, noting a pattern of increased regulatory pressure on NGOs critical of government policy.
Several other prominent organizations, including the National NGO Forum, the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders, and the Alliance for Campaign Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), have faced similar suspensions or constraints.
The National Bureau for NGOs operates under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and holds broad powers to register, monitor, and regulate all NGO activities in Uganda.
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