By Ben Musanje
5th Aug 2022
The National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organizations -NGO Bureau under the Ministry of Internal Affairs has with immediate effect suspended the operations of Sexual Minorities Uganda –SMUG.
This is after discovering that SMUG was operating illegally without being registered with the NGO Bureau contrary to section 29 (1), 31(1) and 31 (2) NGO Act 2016.
Stephen Okello, the Executive Director for NGO Bureau says they have held engagements with SMUG on the 2nd and 27th of June 2022 to understand the legal status of the entity after a number of concerns were raised regarding its operations and its actual physical location wasn’t known.
According to Okello, SMUG has been operating in its own capacity and has had partnerships with some Government institutions such as the Ministry of Health, Uganda Human Rights Commission and Uganda Police.
The main objective of SMUG is to fight against discrimination of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex-LGBTI persons in Uganda.
However, Okello appealed to all NGOs operating in the country to register themselves within the ambit of the law by ensuring that they are fully incorporated, registered and are operating with a valid NGO permit from the NGO Bureau.
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