Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has urged the Uganda Red Cross Society to expedite amendments to the 1964 Red Cross Act, calling for collaboration with the Attorney General and Office of the Prime Minister to modernize the law.
During a meeting with Red Cross Secretary General Robert Kwesiga, Speaker Among acknowledged the inadequacies in the current legislation, particularly regarding the government’s financial obligations to the humanitarian organization.
“That legislation needs to be amended because it does not address the demands of the day; there are some elements in the law which are a bit broad, like on financial support and contribution to the society,” said Kwesiga.
The Speaker pledged Parliament’s commitment to ensure the amendments are enacted swiftly, adding that the previous attempt in the 10th Parliament was noncompliant with Article 93 of the Constitution, which requires such bills to be introduced by the government.
“Support to the Red Cross is support to many Ugandans battling humanitarian crises, especially in disaster-prone areas like Bududa, Kasese, and other regions affected by recent flooding,” Among emphasized.
The Red Cross highlighted persistent financing challenges despite existing frameworks with the Ministry of Health and Office of the Prime Minister. Kwesiga noted that funding from the Ministry of Health was slashed from UGX 11 billion to UGX 5 billion in the current financial year, while UGX 12 billion promised through the Prime Minister’s Office remains unfulfilled.
Speaker Among said the proposed amendments could address these issues comprehensively and tasked Parliament Commissioner Hon. Mathias Mpuuga to coordinate with the Red Cross to facilitate the Bill’s introduction.
“You will always see the Red Cross in places where disasters have occurred; we thank you for providing that critical humanitarian assistance to Ugandans and you remain a vital component of disaster response to the country,” she said.
The reform is expected to create a more robust legal framework, empowering the Red Cross to continue its critical humanitarian work in Uganda.
