Uganda’s decision to hire U.S. lobbying firms has drawn sharp criticism from opposition figures, with National Unity Platform (NUP) national treasurer Benjamin Katana accusing the government of contradicting its own stance on foreign influence.
Katana’s remarks come days after Parliament passed a sovereignty bill aimed at limiting external interference in Uganda’s domestic affairs.
The legislation was followed by strong rhetoric from government officials warning against foreign influence, particularly during a recent military pass-out ceremony addressed by President Yoweri Museveni.
In a statement, Katana questioned the consistency of the government’s actions.
He argued that leaders who had positioned themselves as defenders of national sovereignty were now “paying heavily” to engage foreign lobbyists in Washington, a move he described as contradictory.
“The ‘patriots’ just passed a law to deal with foreign influence and followed it through with an impassioned speech against the same,” Katana said.
“The same ‘patriots’ are now paying heavily to acquire what they are protecting the country from.”
Uganda recently contracted U.S.-based lobbying firms to help influence policy and improve its image in Washington, amid strained relations with the United States.
The diplomatic push comes at a time when Uganda faces a Level 4 travel advisory from the U.S. State Department and targeted sanctions against some of its officials over governance and human rights concerns.
Katana further criticized what he termed as selective justification of state decisions, warning against normalizing conflicting narratives.
“Some wise people will emphasize the enigmatic nature of statecraft and celebrate the impending deployment in Gaza,” he noted, adding that the real concern lies with citizens who accept such contradictions without scrutiny.