Former military officer Lt. Gen. (Rtd) David Sejusa has entered the ongoing debate on the proposed Sovereignty Bill, warning that Uganda’s independence cannot be defined by legislation alone but must rest on economic strength.
His remarks come after the Governor of the Bank of Uganda cautioned Parliament that the Bill could strain the country’s balance of payments and weaken foreign exchange reserves.
Sejusa said the discussion reminded him of Uganda’s past economic struggles under former President Idi Amin, particularly shortages of foreign exchange.
“Listening to the Governor of the Bank of Uganda talk about the dangers of the proposed Sovereignty Bill to the economy, Idi Amin came to mind,” Sejusa said.
“There is a story that when Uganda faced an acute shortage of foreign exchange, Amin got so angry and told Maliyamungu to go and ‘arrest this foreign exchange and have him shot immediately’.”
Economic base of sovereignty
Sejusa said the debate exposes a deeper misunderstanding of what sovereignty means in practice, arguing that political declarations alone are not enough.
“These Africans think sovereignty is built on legal documents and political statements,” he said.
He added that real independence is tied to economic performance and fiscal stability.
“True sovereignty is grounded in the economic autonomy and fiscal health of a country. Once a country depends on foreign capital, it necessarily loses sovereignty.”
Warning on foreign dependence
He further argued that reliance on external financing limits national control over economic decisions.
“Sovereignty is anchored on the capacity to produce and sustain an independent economy, not parliamentary kwala-kwala,” he said.
Sejusa also referenced Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, saying African countries have often misunderstood the order of priorities in development.
“It is not ‘seek ye first the political kingdom,’” he said.
“It is seek ye first the economic kingdom, and all else shall be added unto you.”
Parliament debate continues
The Sovereignty Bill has drawn mixed reactions in Parliament, with supporters saying it is aimed at strengthening national control over foreign influence and financial flows.
Critics, including economists and the central bank, have warned that the legislation could introduce uncertainty in external financing, remittances, and investment inflows.
The Bank of Uganda has cautioned that any disruption to these inflows could affect reserves, weaken the shilling, and increase inflation risks.