By Our Reporter
Lwengo District NGO Forum, a prominent non-governmental organization based in Lwengo District, has raised serious concerns over actions by the local government leaders especially Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Lujumwa Nathan whom the forum claims are aimed at undermining its operations and frustrating its mandate. In a letter dated January 27th, 2025, addressed to the Rt. Hon. Attorney General, Mr. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, the forum lodged a formal appeal against a legal opinion issued by the Solicitor General’s office concerning its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lwengo District Local Government.
The NGO Forum, which operates with the primary goal of creating an accountable NGO sector and promoting the rule of law, alleges that malicious acts by the district’s CAO, Mr. Lujumwa, have led to serious setbacks in its operations. The issue arose after the CAO questioned the legitimacy of recommendation letters issued by the office of the previous CAO, which were critical to the forum’s continued operation.
BELOW IS A LETTER TO AG KIRYOWA KIWANUKA AND OTHER DOCS REGARDING THIS MATTER
READ FULL LETTER TO AG KIRYOWA KIWANUKAAccording to Lwengo District NGO Forum, the recommendation letters from the office of the Chief Administrative Officer, dated March 4th, 2024, were issued as part of the standard procedure for the forum’s certification by the NGO Bureau. These letters were necessary for the forum to maintain its certificate of operation. However, with the arrival of the current CAO, allegations surfaced suggesting that the recommendation letters were forged. The forum claims that these accusations are unfounded and part of a broader attempt to frustrate the organization’s efforts.
The situation escalated when the Director of Legal Advisory Services in the Attorney General’s Chambers summoned a meeting on January 13th, 2025, to address the issue. The forum claims that during the meeting, the CAO continued to repeat his allegations, which, according to the NGO, did not lead to any resolution. Despite the forum’s requests for the certified copies of the meeting minutes, no satisfactory response was received until a letter dated January 23rd, 2025, confirmed that the meeting had not yielded any results.
In the letter to the Attorney General, Lwengo District NGO Forum further expressed concern over what they described as coercive tactics by the CAO. According to the forum, the CAO has been pressuring district officers who had signed the recommendation letters to apologize for their actions, which the forum views as an intimidation attempt.
The forum has now appealed to the Attorney General’s office for intervention, asserting that these actions amount to an abuse of office and a violation of the NGO’s right to operate under the laws of Uganda. They emphasized that such actions are intended to hinder the NGO’s ability to execute its mandate effectively.
The forum’s appeal highlights the broader issue of how local governance can sometimes disrupt the work of NGOs, particularly those working toward transparency and accountability. “These malicious and vexatious acts are not only illegal but are detrimental to the work of NGOs in Uganda. This is a clear case of abuse of office, and we urge the Attorney General to act swiftly,” stated one of the forum’s leaders.
BELOW IS A LETTER TO AG KIRYOWA KIWANUKA AND OTHER DOCS REGARDING THIS MATTER
Lwengo District NGO Forum is requesting the Attorney General’s office to compel the CAO to issue the necessary Memorandum of Understanding, which would enable the NGO to resume its operations as intended. They have also called for the matter to be handled with urgency, citing the principle of natural justice which mandates that “justice delayed is justice denied.”
The Forum’s leaders in the same vein have called on the Ministry of Justice to support them in safeguarding their right to operate as a fully registered organization under the Non-Governmental Organizations Act, Cap 109.
“We are simply asking for justice to be served, so that we can continue fulfilling our mandate and contributing to the development and accountability of Lwengo District,” the forum’s leadership concluded in their letter.
The appeal is now in the hands of the Attorney General’s office, and it is hoped that the matter will be resolved swiftly to ensure that Lwengo District NGO Forum can continue its important work without further interference from local authorities.
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