President Museveni has received public commendation from activist Anthony Natif following his clarification on the proposed Sovereignty Bill, which had sparked widespread debate over its potential impact on Uganda’s economy and foreign financial flows.
Museveni, addressing concerns raised in recent public discussions, firmly stated that the Bill is not intended to restrict foreign direct investment, diaspora remittances, or church donations from abroad.
He emphasized that Uganda remains committed to a free-market economy where capital moves without government interference, with foreign exchange transactions conducted through privately run forex bureaus.
His clarification comes amid growing speculation that the legislation could interfere with private financial transfers and external funding channels.
Museveni rejected these interpretations, insisting that the Bill is focused solely on safeguarding Uganda’s independence in policy decision-making.
In his remarks, the president reiterated that over the past four decades, Uganda under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) has consistently maintained economic openness, arguing that private sector freedom has been central to the country’s resilience and growth.
He also stressed that economic liberalisation has helped Uganda navigate governance challenges, including corruption and inefficiencies within public institutions.
According to him, unrestricted capital flow remains a key safeguard for national development.
The clarification has now drawn support from activist Anthony Natif, who welcomed Museveni’s stance, describing it as a necessary correction in the ongoing debate.
“Now this is more like it, Mzee!” Natif said, praising the president’s response.
He argued that true independence should allow countries the freedom to make their own policy decisions, including the right to learn from their own mistakes without external pressure.
Natif further called for a shift in how African governance debates are framed, urging that policy direction should emerge from open competition of ideas rather than influence from external economic actors.
“It’s time for Africans to define how they want to be governed through a contest of ideas,” he said, warning against what he described as entrenched interests seeking to preserve the status quo.
He also criticized attempts to influence policy through financial leverage, saying that external funding should not translate into control over national decision-making.
“That they can throw around a few dollars to outrage merchants shouldn’t give them the right to determine our direction,” he added.
In a more critical observation, Natif suggested that parts of the earlier draft of the Bill may have gone too far, particularly in ways that could have affected private enterprise and economic freedom.
“As an aside, it looks like some overzealous character went over and above the call of duty and drafted a Protection to Sovereignty Bill that could have killed free enterprise,” he noted.
Museveni, however, has since directed that the Bill be refined to focus strictly on sovereignty in policy-making, while excluding provisions that could interfere with private financial transactions or economic freedoms.
He has also engaged parliamentary leaders and Minister Hamson Obua to ensure the legislation remains aligned with Uganda’s economic framework.