Commonly Used Terms

Definitions in plain English

Every term we use on this site is defined here. Where a term comes from the NGO Act 2016 or the 2024 Amendment, the section number is shown in the source line.

Annual return: The yearly report every registered NGO must submit to the Bureau. It covers activities, finances, governance, and any changes during the year. Submitting on time keeps the permit in good standing.
Assistant Commissioner: A senior officer of the Bureau leading one of three directorates: Registration, Inspection and Compliance, or Monitoring and Evaluation.
Community Based Organisation(CBO): A voluntary, non-profit group operating at the sub-county level for community welfare. CBOs are registered at the district level by the District NGO Monitoring Committee (DNMC), not by the Bureau directly.
Compliance obligations: What a registered NGO must do each year and over the life of its permit: file the annual return, keep records, hold meetings, and notify the Bureau of material changes.
Continental NGO: An NGO that operates in Uganda and at least one other African country. One of the five NGO categories.
District NGO Monitoring Committee(DNMC): The committee in each district that registers CBOs, monitors registered NGOs in the district, and forwards records to the Bureau.
Foreign NGO: An NGO incorporated outside Uganda that operates in Uganda. Section 35 of the Act applies.
Indigenous NGO: An NGO that operates within a single district in Uganda. The most common category for community-rooted Ugandan organisations.
International NGO: An NGO that operates across more than one continent and includes Uganda among its countries of operation. Section 35 applies.
Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO): A voluntary, non-profit organisation registered with the Bureau under the NGO Act 2016. NGOs operate for a public benefit and are distinct from CBOs and from companies registered for profit.
Notification: The duty to tell the Bureau when something material changes during the permit term, such as a change of address, change of leadership, or financial difficulty.
Permanent Secretary: The accounting officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the most senior public servant the Bureau reports to.
Permit of Operation: The authorisation that allows a registered NGO to operate. Permits are issued for a fixed term and must be renewed before they expire.
Regional NGO: An NGO that operates in two or more districts within a single region of Uganda. One of the five NGO categories.
Replacement: The Bureau's process for issuing a duplicate permit when the original is lost, stolen, or damaged. Plain-English label on the site: "replace a lost or damaged permit".
Review: The Bureau's process for changing details on an existing permit, such as a new address or a change of directors. Plain-English label on the site: "change something on your permit".
Secretary, NGO Bureau: The functional head of the Bureau, established by the NGO (Amendment) Act 2024. Reports to the Permanent Secretary. Replaces the previous Executive Director role.
Statutory Instrument(SI): A piece of subsidiary legislation made under an Act, such as the NGO Regulations 2017 or the NGO Fees Regulations 2017. SIs flesh out the operational detail that the Act sets out in principle.
Sub-county NGO Monitoring Committee(SNMC): The committee at sub-county level that vets CBO applications and recommends them to the DNMC. The first point of contact for a CBO that wants to register.
The Board: The Board of Directors of the Bureau, which previously oversaw policy. The role was discontinued by the NGO (Amendment) Act 2024; the Bureau now sits as a department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The Bureau: The National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organisations. A department within the Ministry of Internal Affairs that registers, monitors, inspects, and regulates NGOs and CBOs in Uganda.
The Minister: The Cabinet Minister responsible for Internal Affairs, who is politically accountable for the NGO sector.

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Annual return

The yearly report every registered NGO must submit to the Bureau. It covers activities, finances, governance, and any changes during the year. Submitting on time keeps the permit in good standing.

Source: NGO Act 2016, ss.36-39See also: Compliance obligations

Assistant Commissioner

A senior officer of the Bureau leading one of three directorates: Registration, Inspection and Compliance, or Monitoring and Evaluation.

Community Based Organisation(CBO)

A voluntary, non-profit group operating at the sub-county level for community welfare. CBOs are registered at the district level by the District NGO Monitoring Committee (DNMC), not by the Bureau directly.

Source: NGO Act 2016, s.29See also: DNMC, SNMC

Compliance obligations

What a registered NGO must do each year and over the life of its permit: file the annual return, keep records, hold meetings, and notify the Bureau of material changes.

Source: NGO Act 2016, ss.36-39See also: Annual return, Notification

Continental NGO

An NGO that operates in Uganda and at least one other African country. One of the five NGO categories.

Source: NGO Act 2016, s.30

Indigenous NGO

An NGO that operates within a single district in Uganda. The most common category for community-rooted Ugandan organisations.

Source: NGO Act 2016, s.30

International NGO

An NGO that operates across more than one continent and includes Uganda among its countries of operation. Section 35 applies.

Source: NGO Act 2016, s.35

Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO)

A voluntary, non-profit organisation registered with the Bureau under the NGO Act 2016. NGOs operate for a public benefit and are distinct from CBOs and from companies registered for profit.

Source: NGO Act 2016, s.2See also: CBO

Notification

The duty to tell the Bureau when something material changes during the permit term, such as a change of address, change of leadership, or financial difficulty.

Permanent Secretary

The accounting officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the most senior public servant the Bureau reports to.

Permit of Operation

The authorisation that allows a registered NGO to operate. Permits are issued for a fixed term and must be renewed before they expire.

Source: NGO Act 2016, ss.32-33See also: Annual return, Replacement

Regional NGO

An NGO that operates in two or more districts within a single region of Uganda. One of the five NGO categories.

Source: NGO Act 2016, s.30

Replacement

The Bureau's process for issuing a duplicate permit when the original is lost, stolen, or damaged. Plain-English label on the site: "replace a lost or damaged permit".

Review

The Bureau's process for changing details on an existing permit, such as a new address or a change of directors. Plain-English label on the site: "change something on your permit".

Secretary, NGO Bureau

The functional head of the Bureau, established by the NGO (Amendment) Act 2024. Reports to the Permanent Secretary. Replaces the previous Executive Director role.

Source: NGO (Amendment) Act 2024

Statutory Instrument(SI)

A piece of subsidiary legislation made under an Act, such as the NGO Regulations 2017 or the NGO Fees Regulations 2017. SIs flesh out the operational detail that the Act sets out in principle.

Sub-county NGO Monitoring Committee(SNMC)

The committee at sub-county level that vets CBO applications and recommends them to the DNMC. The first point of contact for a CBO that wants to register.