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By Timothy Eodu
Civil Society Organizations-CSOs in Karamoja have joined the rest of their colleagues in protesting the proposed “Sovereignty Bill” which government says is intended to protect the country from “Foreign Influence.” In agreement that the proposed Sovereignty Bill addresses legitimate concerns about foreign influence, they however cautioned that in Karamoja, the same provisions risk misclassifying survival systems as external threats.
In a position paper seen by KaramojaNews, the CSOs state that Karamoja will be uniquely affected in various ways. The position paper stated that Karamoja region is unique and relies on Cross-border interactions with neighboring communities of Kenya and South Sudan and the livelihood of pastoralism with Turkana County and Kapoeta of South Sudan.
“The cross-border livestock trade contributes millions of dollars annually, and in 2018, about USD 1M was recorded between Kenya and Uganda alone. In places like Amudat district, about 70% of livestock sold goes to Kenya. This kind of trade makes a significant contribution to diaspora remittances for household survival and small businesses” it added.
They said externally funded programs for food security, water, human and livestock health, education, and peace building among others are not just peripheral activities and investments but the foundation of resilience and survival among communities and sources of tax incomes for the government of Uganda.
The position paper sites that Karamoja’s development trajectory remains deeply intertwined with external support, with humanitarian agencies and civil society organizations delivering an estimated 80% of life-saving interventions across the sub-region. International partners play a central role in sustaining basic services in education, health, water, and livelihoods.
Available data indicates that between 2022-2023 alone, foreign funding amounted to over $60M (UGX 230 billion) to respective sectors of Karamoja (KRSU 2022). Their contributions have been instrumental in expanding access to schooling through scholarships, school feeding programs, and infrastructure development, particularly in a region historically characterized by high illiteracy rates and evolving social attitudes toward formal education.
Similarly, the health sector continues to depend on donor-funded systems for service delivery, outreach, and emergency response. However, this high level of dependence also presents a structural vulnerability for Karamoja’s long-term socio-economic transformation.
“Any significant reduction or withdrawal of donor funding risks disrupting essential services and reversing recent gains in human development, 2023 for instance witnessed over 45% (582,000) of people in Karamoja food insecure (WFP report, 2023)” they urged.
Government financing, while present, has consistently relied on external supplementation, underscoring the need for a more deliberate transition strategy. For Karamoja, the challenge is not merely sustaining aid flows, but leveraging them to build resilient local systems, strengthen public sector capacity, and catalyze inclusive economic growth that can gradually reduce dependency while safeguarding the gains made.
Karamoja has increasingly emerged as a strategic tourism frontier for Uganda, contributing to the country’s broader reliance on tourism as a key source of foreign exchange and contributing to the GDP of the country. Flagship attractions such as Kidepo Valley National Park, Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, and the cultural landscapes of Mount Morungole, home to the Ik community—position the sub-region as a unique destination for both domestic and international visitors.
Ongoing public investments, including road infrastructure and the development of an International airport, are intended to unlock this potential and integrate Karamoja more firmly into national and regional tourism circuits. Moreover, the growth of private sector in tourism has bolstered the sector for example Karatunga Tours and Travels, DNA among others.
However, the proposed bill risks undermining these gains by constraining cross-border mobility, discouraging investment, and creating uncertainty for tour operators and visitors. In effect, it could weaken the very foundations of a sector that is increasingly viewed as a pathway to economic diversification and resilience for the region. This would undermine the region’s comparative advantage and slow progress towards industrialization.
From Karamoja’s perspective, sustained investment in industry and mineral development is not only about economic growth, but also about job creation, local value addition, and long-term resilience. Emerging industries have begun to provide alternative livelihoods, particularly for youth, complementing gains made in peace building and reducing dependence on humanitarian assistance. If investor momentum is disrupted, these opportunities risk shrinking, potentially reversing socio-economic gains and weakening the foundations for inclusive development.
Safeguarding a predictable, open, and investor-friendly environment is therefore essential for Karamoja to realize its 2035 ambitions and transition from a historically marginalized region into a competitive economic hub. The CSOs have now called for a more balanced approach that protects sovereignty while preserving the socio-economic and peace structures that sustain Uganda’s border regions.
The Protection of Sovereignty Bill, 2026 (Bill No. 13 of 2026), gazetted in Uganda on April 13, 2026, aims to curb foreign influence by imposing strict regulations on foreign funding, mandatory registration for “agents of foreigners,” and heavy penalties—up to 20 years in prison and UGX 4 billion fines—for violating provisions.
The proposed Sovereignty Bill 2026 introduces sweeping provisions that redefine “foreigners” to include Ugandan citizens residing abroad and expands the scope of “foreign influence” to encompass individuals and institutions receiving external funding. While intended to safeguard national sovereignty, these provisions pose significant unintended risks for Karamoja, a region whose economy, peace systems, and livelihoods are inherently cross-border and externally supported.
