By Emmanuel Nduka
The Ugandan Parliament has begun reviewing the Political Parties and Organisations (Amendment) Bill, 2025, a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Faith Nakut, the Woman MP for Napak District.
The Bill, tabled during a recent plenary session chaired by Speaker Anita Among, seeks to amend the existing Political Parties and Organisations Act (Cap. 178). Nakut had secured leave to introduce the Bill under parliamentary rules on May 13, 2025.
The proposed amendments aim to formalize two organs within the National Consultative Forum: the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) and a Forum for Non-Represented Political Parties.
It also outlines IPOD’s functions and introduces new conditions for political parties to qualify for public funding.
Currently, only political parties represented in Parliament are eligible for government funding under Section 14 of the existing law.
Nakut argued that this provision overlooks the need for parties to commit to democratic values such as dialogue, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence.
“To strengthen the National Consultative Forum, we must create structures that represent both represented and non-represented political parties,” Nakut said, emphasizing the need for greater transparency and fairness in public funding.
The Bill proposes that only parties that are members of the National Consultative Forum—and by extension IPOD—be eligible to receive public resources.
It defines IPOD’s roles, including promoting inter-party dialogue, advising the government on policy, encouraging democratic governance, and serving as a neutral platform for diverse political views.
Speaker Among has referred the Bill to the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for further consideration.
