Operations at several good governance-centred civil society organisations have been disrupted after the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) froze their bank accounts.
In a widening crackdown on organisations deemed to be “hostile” to the government, sources at the FIA alleged the CSOs have been receiving money to cause ‘unrest.”
Among the organisations affected is Agora Centre for Research, started by journalist and lawyer Agather Atuhaire. Agora has done a lot of activism on good governance.
Solomon Serwanjja’s African Institute for Investigative Journalism (AIIJ) also had its accounts frozen. The organisation has been instrumental in training journalists.
Another is Chapter Four Uganda, led by Anthony Masake, who replaced Nicholas Opiyo.
Unsurprisingly, the accounts of Sarah Bireete’s Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG) and Godber Tumushabe’s Great Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies (GLISS) were also frozen. Bireete was briefly arrested this year.
An employee at one of the affected organisations, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the move has paralysed operations.
“We can’t carry out some of our planned activities,” the employee said.
The freezing of accounts has raised concern within the civil society sector, with fears that ongoing programmes, staff salaries, and community work could be affected.
Many of the affected organisations are involved in governance, accountability, and human rights work.
Efforts to obtain a comment from FIA were not successful.
