The Ugandan government has ordered the immediate suspension of 54 NGOs in a move seen as a move to tighten its grip on civil society.
The 54 associations, which cuts across political, societal, religious and environmental fields, are accused of non-compliance with the law.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the NGOs were either operating without formal registration, with expired permits or repeatedly failed to submit their annual reports and accounts.
Some of the organisations affected by the directive of the Ugandan government were election observers during the disputed presidential polls in January.
The election saw President Yoweri Museveni re-elected for a sixth term after a violent campaign marked by the harassment and arrest of opposition figures, including main opposition leader and member of parliament, Bobi Wine.
