Civil Society in Uganda
Systemic Issues
for Long Term Development and Sustainability
Presented at the
DGF Board discussion with NGO Board
and Civil Society Organisations (CSO)
DGF Offices
15th April 2015
By
Richard Ssewakiryanga
Executive Director
Uganda National NGO Forum
Plot 25, Muyenga Tank Hill Rd, Kabalagala
Office: +256 312 260 373/ 414 510 272
Website: www.ngoforum.or.ug
Outline
• History of civil society in Uganda
• What influences CSO work
• Areas of further collaboration
Civil Society in Uganda – Pre-Independence History
• The emergence of ‘formal’ civil society associations first took place before
colonial rule and the main categories of civil society identified in the period 1920
- 1950 were:
• Working Class-led Membership Organizations:
• Formed to promote economic and social interests of workers to resist monopolization of trade in agricultural products by
immigrant communities from Europe and Asia
• Elite-led Membership Organizations:
• Formed by middle class Africans aggrieved at the colonial policies. e.g. “Young Men of Buganda”, “Young Men of Toro”,
“Uganda African Welfare Association” and women’s organizations like “Uganda Council of Women” (UCW).
• Cultural/Ethnic-based Organizations:
• Examples include organizations representing the Kingdoms and other cultural institutions
• Welfare and Charitable Organizations
• Such as Red Cross Society, Salvation Army and other organizations based in Europe in general and UK in particular. They acted
as philanthropic intermediaries providing welfare services to the poor and the early precursors of the NGOs
• The Media:
• The published critical articles about colonialism e.g. Uganda Herald, Ssekanyolya (1920), Munyonyozi, Matalisi (1924),
Gambuze, Dobozi Lya Buganda (1928), Uganda Express, Uganda Times, and African Pilot.
Post Independence to 1986
• In 1962, and especially after the abrogation of the country’s first Constitution in 1967,
the existence and operations of CSOs was curtailed by the dictatorships, first of Idi
Amin’s regime and later by Milton Obote
• The few CSO that remained in this period, issues of constitutionalism and rights were
not prominent on CSO agenda
• Numerous strikes were organized in the post independence period but these were
crushed by the state which in turn enacted repressive laws like the Trade Union
Disputes (Arbitration and Settlement) Act and Regulations which restricted
disputes/strikes in the essential services
• In 1973, Idi Amin banned all women’s organizations. The National Council of Women
was created under Decree No. 3 as the main umbrella body for co-coordinating all
women's organizations in Uganda
1986 to date …
• Under NRM – dominant form of civil society are NGOs. The liberalization
policies significantly weakened the trade union movement
• Many of the current NGOs grew out of the humanitarian work of the
1980s and the global structural adjustment policies of down-sizing the
state
• The numbers have seen an astronomical jump of registered from 160 in
1986, 3500 in 2000, 47000 in 2003, 5,500 in 2005 to approx. 12,000 in 2015
• Estimates are that about two thirds are in operation. Many of them have
certificates but no funding for their programs.
Post 1986 major civil society groups in Uganda…
• The Women’s Movement
• Faith based organizations
• Cultural Institutions
• Community-Based Organisations (CBOs)
• Advocacy Organizations
• Umbrella/Platform Organisations/National and District Networks
What influences civil society work today...
• 1. The political history and contemporary political environment
• Historical and Current Patronage system – citizens are seen as a network of clients to
whom patronage is delivered. This includes the fusion of the private and public
resources and impunity of patron leaders at all levels.
• Individual merit and the death of institutions – The Movement system introduced
individual merit that celebrated the centrality of the individual in the construction of
democratic life and institutions like the political parties were seen bad and divisive. But
with the death of political parties there was also an attendant death of respect for
institutional autonomy and growth.
• Implication: CSOs formed in this environment end up entangled in a context where some
are formed to service the patronage system and those that question it are met with
hostility. Individual merit also implies that the influential individuals in public life are
seen as more important than the institutions since many people are happy receiving
goodies from strong individuals and the individual merit hangover reinforces the politics
of individual merit and the disregard and vandalization of institutions of the state since
everyone argues that they do not deliver.
What influences civil society work today...
2. The space(s) available for civil society actors at national and local level
• The NGO law comes from a history of viewing NGOs as a security threat - and not
development organizations. This dates back to the pre and post-1986 when the new
state had to look at all forms of organizing critically. The post-1986 state had itself
come to power through a process of civic organizing and it had created a ‘security
threat’ that toppled a dictatorship – therefore it was very much the same logic that
has informed legislation of NGOs over time.
• But also with the ‘new found freedoms’ and exponential growth of NGOs, there was
an emphasis keeping NGOs under surveillance.
• Implication: This situation has in some cases led to self-censorship by NGOs. Those
with no transformative agenda get their registration and silently and meekly
implement their programs. Further when one looks at NGO-Govt relations, they are
so diverse and are in many ways dependent on individual appreciation of the role of
NGOs by government officials.
What influences civil society work today...
• 3. Socio-economic conditions prevalent in the country
• Uganda is currently characterized by two characteristics: Citizen who are in the
‘survival mode’ and the commercialization of all services - The absence of quality
public schools, public hospitals, public housing and other public services like
electricity and water means that those who want quality services have to pay for
them.
• The context has spread commercialization to the extent that today citizens live
transaction lives, and they live ‘on the edge’ not having any social insurance and
assurance from the state. Commercialization also fuels the looting of the state and
the building of a system of impunity of leaders in the face of social stress that many
citizens face.
• Implication: For NGOs, running an organization is a daily task of finding ways of
building confidence, agency and hope among citizens who ‘live on the edge’ and do
not trust any institution including the NGOs that want to paint a picture of hope.
What influences civil society work today...
• 4. The availability of funds and interests of funders/donors
• Uganda does not have a civil society fund (either by govt or donors) that is built on
civil society philosophy. DGF bridges that gap by providing very strategic support to
many organizations. But this is also done amidst several sectoral funding streams
that do not want to spend anytime understanding the systemic issues that NGOs are
concerned with but just want to deliver their log frames and close shop.
• Other types of financing also inherently create tense relationships among
organizations that should be working collectively. This is true for funds that
organizations have to bid for - for example EU and USAID funds.
• Sometimes organizations use each other, undercut each other and focus on getting
the money and worry about the relations created and strained later. The funding is
also always short term funding with organizational heads spending more time
worrying about the survival of institutions than the change they want to create.
• Implication: While civil society receives significant funding, it will be hard to see a
strong impact and change in a context of short term funding that does not take into
consideration how to challenge and make the status quo better for all citizens.
Options for the future...
• The importance of DGF in supporting the development of an enabling
environment is very welcome. The fact that DGF has decided to be
strategic in its financing and stay in constant dialogue with its partners so
as to create innovative solutions to a unique context should be applauded
• Support to the NGO Board will go a long way in ensuring that the
regulator and promoter of civil society in government is functional and
supportive of the sector. What CSOs need in Uganda is to ensure that
there is a strong affirmation of the role of civil society and collective
agreement about the need to build a strong sector.
• For example, the innovation of financing quarterly meetings and
platforms addressed by the line minister and NGO Board are very
important in building trust and understanding in terms of the different
ways in which we all ‘see the world’.
Options for the future...
• We also need to institute this dialogue into a regular structured
dialogue that brings the Ambassadors that are pooling resources
under DGF nearer to the sector leadership so that the trust and
understanding being built within the government leadership is also
extended to the development partner community.
• We should also start thinking about options of creating long term
sustainability of civil society in Uganda. For example, can we find
ways in which we support network organizations to own assets that
can generate funding that can be used for program work. Is there a
way government can be supported to actually start financing its civil
society. These are questions that should be on the table as we work
to unlock these systemic issues.
I thank you for listening!