Uganda sovereignty bill: protection or policing?

About this episode

The episode discusses Uganda's new sovereignty bill and its implications for civil society and political freedoms, alongside a conservationist's work in Zimbabwe addressing human-wildlife conflict.

Uganda’s new bill could jail citizens for up to 20 years for unauthorised foreign funding, citing concerns over foreign influence on national policy. This has raised questions about the future of civil society, independent organisations, and political freedoms in the country. We look at what the Sovereignty Bill could mean for Ugandans if passed into law. Meanwhile, in northern Zimbabwe, a conservationist is working with rural communities to transform how people live alongside lions, finding practical solutions to long-standing human–wildlife conflict. Her approach is now gaining international attention, earning her the 2026 Whitley Award. Presenter : Charles Gitonga Producer: Ayuba Iliya Technical Producer: Terry Chege Senior Producers: Keikantse Shumba and Blessing Aderogba Editors: Priyanka Sippy and Maryam Abdalla

People in this episode

Host: Charles Gitonga

Topics covered

• Uganda sovereignty bill
• civil society
• political freedoms
• foreign funding
• human-wildlife conflict
• conservation

Keywords

• Uganda
• sovereignty bill
• civil society
• foreign funding
• Zimbabwe
• conservation
• human-wildlife conflict
• Whitley Award

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Whitley Award

Places: Uganda, Zimbabwe

More episodes of Focus on Africa

• Is the internet dividing men and women? · June 12, 2026 · 23 min
• Africa's World Cup dream: controversy and opportunity · June 11, 2026 · 23 min
• DRC: How armed conflict is affecting Ebola response · June 10, 2026 · 23 min
• Nigeria: Freed from Boko Haram · June 9, 2026 · 23 min
• African prisoners of war in Ukraine · June 8, 2026 · 23 min
• ‘More than my ovaries’: Redefining PCOS · June 5, 2026 · 23 min