At the centre of the dispute is the balance between Uganda’s sovereign authority to regulate organisations operating within its territory and the commitments that EAC Partner States have made to promote regional cooperation.
A new legal challenge before the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) is testing whether Uganda’s Protection of Sovereignty Act is compatible with East African Community obligations, with four civil society organisations arguing that the law threatens regional cooperation and integration.
The organisations have asked the Arusha-based regional court to suspend the implementation of 25 provisions of the law, which they contend are inconsistent with the Treaty establishing the East African Community.
