NATIONAL HONOURS AND AWARDS ACT, 2001.

An Act to provide for the creation of the Presidential Awards Committee, recognition and conferment of titles of honour, decoration, medals, awards and orders, the establishment of the Chancery, for the custody of awards and to provide for other related matters.

PART I
PRELIMINARY.

1. Short title.

This Act may be cited as the National Honours and Awards Act, 2001.

2. Interpretation.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

“Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the Committee;

“Chancery” means the chancery referred to in section 10 of this Act;.

“Committee” means the Presidential Awards Committee established under section 4;

“currency point” has the value specified in the First Schedule to this Act;

“Minister” means the Minister to whom responsibility for this Act is assigned by the President;

“honour” means a title of honour;

“Secretary” includes Permanent Secretary; and

“title of honour” means a decoration, medal, an order or any other dignity specified in the Second Schedule to this Act.

PART II
PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS COMMITTEE.

3. President to confer honours.

(1) Subject to this Act, the President may confer a title of honour on any person and may suspend or revoke the title.

(2) The titles of honour to be conferred under this Act and their descriptions and incidents are those specified in the Second Schedule to this Act.

(3) The President may, by statutory instrument amend the Second Schedule by deleting or inserting any title of honour.

(4) Notwithstanding subsection (1), a title of honour conferred on any person by the President before the coming into force of this Act, shall be taken to have been conferred under this Act.

4. Presidential Awards Committee.

(1) There is established a Committee to be known as the Presidential Awards Committee.

(2) The Committee shall consist of—

(a) the Chairperson; and

(b) eight other members all of whom shall be appointed by the President from among persons of high moral character and proven integrity.

(3) The Committee may co-opt any person with expert knowledge to guide it in its deliberations.

5. Functions of the Committee.

The Committee shall advise the President in respect of persons upon whom titles of honour may be conferred and generally in respect of the President’s performance of his or her functions under this Act.

6. Secretary to the Committee.

The chancellor shall be the Secretary to the Committee.

7. Remuneration.

Members of the Committee shall be paid such emoluments as the Minister in consultation with the Minister responsible for finance may determine.

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8. Terms of Office.

(1) A member of the Committee shall hold office for a period of five years and shall be eligible for reappointment.

(2) A member of the Committee may vacate his or her office—

(a) if that member resigns his or her office by writing signed by him or her and addressed to the President; and

(b) if the President removes that member from office for—

(i) inability to perform the functions of his or her office arising from infirmity of body or mind;

(ii) misbehaviour or misconduct; or

(iii) incompetence.

9. Meetings of Committee.

(1) The Committee shall meet at least once every six months at such time and place as the Chairperson may appoint or upon a request in writing to the Chairperson by at least three members of the Committee.

(2) The quorum at any meeting of the Committee shall be five.

(3) Subject to this section, the Committee may regulate its own proceedings.

(4) Notwithstanding subsection (3), the decisions of the Committee shall be reached by consensus.

PART III
THE CHANCERY.

10. Object of the Chancery.

The Chancery shall have permanent custodianship and administration of Uganda’s National Honours.

11. Functions of the Chancery.

(1) For the attainment of its objects under section 10, the Chancery shall have the following functions—

(a) to prepare and publish honours’ lists and to purchase the necessary insignia;

(b) to have custody of insignia and to prepare certificates of honour and rolls of honour;

(d) to replace lost or worn out insignia;

(e) to organise an investiture for the award of honours; and

(f) any other act or matter related to national honours.

(2) The Chancery shall, to the greatest possible extent consistent with the performance of its functions, consult and cooperate with Ministries, Departments, Branches and Agencies of the Government having duties related to, or having aims or objectives related to those of the Chancery.

12. The Chancellor.

(1) The Chancery shall be headed by an officer called the Chancellor.

(2) The Chancellor shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Public Service Commission.

(3) The Chancellor shall be the Secretary to the Chancery.

(4) The Chancellor’s terms and conditions of service shall be equal to that of a Permanent Secretary.

13. The Herald.

(1) There shall be an officer called the Herald of the Chancery who shall serve in a voluntary capacity.

(2) The Herald shall be appointed by the Chancellor with the approval of the Minister.

(3) The Herald may be sent as a representative of the Chancellor on missions related to the work of the Chancery and shall assist the Chancery with the honour lists.

14. The Master of Ceremonies.

(1) There shall be an officer called the Master of Ceremonies of the Chancery who shall be a member of the disciplined forces and who shall serve in a voluntary capacity.

(2) The Master of Ceremonies shall be appointed by the Chancellor in consultation with the disciplined forces and the Minister.

15. Functions of Master of Ceremonies.

(1) The functions of the Master of Ceremonies shall be—

(a) to conduct the ceremonies of investiture and to ensure that they are conducted with due dignity and as required;

(b) to educate the persons honoured on the use of insignia; and

(2) The Master of Ceremonies shall, in the performance of his or her duties, report directly to the Chancellor.

16. Funds of the Chancery.

(1) The funds of the Chancery shall consist of—

(a) funds as may be appropriated by Parliament; and

(b) grants, gifts and donations that may be received by the Chancery from sources approved by government.

(2) All funds of the Chancery shall be deposited to the credit of the Chancery in a bank approved by the Minister and shall not be withdrawn except with the approval of and in a manner determined by the Chancery.

PART IV
MISCELLANEOUS.

17. Revocation of honours.

(1) The President may revoke a title of honour awarded to a person if—

(a) it is found that the title of honour was conferred on the wrong person and that that person had misrepresented himself or herself as the proper person to receive the title; or

(b) if the person is convicted of any of the following offences—

(i) any offence where he or she is sentenced to death or imprisonment of not less than five years; or

(ii) any offence involving fraud or dishonesty or moral turpitude.

(2) Where a title of honour is revoked under this section the person to whom the title was awarded shall, within one month after being given notice of the revocation, return the insignia of title of that honour to the Chancellor.

(3) Any person who contravenes subsection (2) of this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 30 currency points or imprisonment not exceeding one year or both.

18. Regulations.

(1) The President may, by statutory instrument, make regulations prescribing—

(a) the qualifications for eligibility for appointment to a rank of honour;

(b) the precedence to be accorded to different honours;

(d) the insignia by which an honour may be distinguished;

(e) the designation and style which a recipient of an honour is entitled to use;

(f) the form of the certificate that may be presented to a recipient of an honour;

(g) the privileges that shall be attached to the respective titles of honour;

(h) any other matter reasonably necessary for the purpose of this Act.

19. Offences.

(1) A person who, not being a holder of an honour under this Act—

(a) uses a designation or style which is likely to deceive any person into thinking that an honour has been conferred on him or her, under this Act; or

(b) wears or otherwise uses an insignia resembling an honour under this Act; or

(d) by any other means represents himself or herself to be a person holding an honour under this Act;

commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 100 currency points or imprisonment not exceeding one year or both.

(2) A person who—

(a) accepts or obtains for himself or herself or for another person; or

(b) gives or offers to another person a gift, money or valuable consideration as an inducement or reward for procuring or assisting to procure the conferment of an honour on any person,

commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 100 currency points or imprisonment not exceeding three years or both.

(3) Where a person convicted under paragraph (b) of subsection (2) has received a gift, money, or a consideration, which is capable of forfeiture, that person shall, in addition to the punishment, be liable to forfeit that gift, money or consideration to the State.

20. Power of Minister to amend First Schedule.

The Minister may, after consultation with the Minister responsible for finance and with the approval of Cabinet, amend the First Schedule by statutory instrument.

First Schedule.

ss. 2, 32.

Currency point.

A currency point is equivalent to twenty thousand shillings.

Second Schedule.

s. 3(2).

Titles of honour, their descriptions and incidents.

PART I
CIVILIAN DECORATIONS AND MEDALS.

1. The Most Excellent Order of the Pearl of Africa.

[The Grand Master]—This is the highest honour to be awarded to Heads of State and Heads of Governments.

2. The Excellent Order of the Pearl of Africa.

[The Grand Commander]—This will be reserved for Heads of State’s spouses, Vice Presidents and Crown Princes and Princesses.

3. The Distinguished Order of The Nile [Classes I-V].

This will be with five classes and shall be awarded to people who have distinguished themselves in productive, research, economic, social and cultural enterprises.

4. The Distinguished Order of the Crested Crane [Classes I-V].

This will be with five classes and shall be awarded to people who have distinguished themselves in leadership and service, both public and private.

5. The National Independence Medal.

This Medal shall be awarded to all civilian activists who championed and contributed significantly to the struggle for independence and those who have continued to protect the independence of Uganda.

6. The Nalubaale Medal.

The Nalubaale Medal shall be awarded to all civilian activists who have contributed towards the political development of Uganda either through armed struggle or civil disobedience and otherwise right from colonial times to date.

PART II
MILITARY DECORATIONS AND MEDALS.

1. The Order of Katonga.

(1) This shall be the highest and most rarely awarded military decoration of the Republic of Uganda for rewarding individual extraordinary instances of heroism in the army.

(2) The instances referred to are those that involve voluntary acceptance of additional danger beyond the call of duty and risk of life.

(3) The President (or where the President is the beneficiary) the Chief Justice shall be the only person to make presentation of The Order of Katonga and every time it is presented, the citation shall clearly indicate the reasons for the award.

(4) The Order may be awarded to an individual more than once on different occasions; and apart from the Order awarded on the very first time, a bar attached to the ribbon by which the order is suspended shall record each subsequent award.

2. The Kabalega Star (Classes I-III).

(1) The Kabalega Star shall be the second highest military decoration with three classes.

(2) The award shall be for conspicuous gallantry that does not justify the award of The Order of Katonga but bordering with the qualification for the award of the Order of Katonga.

3. The Rwenzori Star (Class I-III).

(1) The Rwenzori Star shall be the third highest military decoration of the army with three classes.

(2) The decoration shall be awarded for distinguished or exemplary military service, which shall include exceptionally meritorious service or great responsibility in military service.

(3) Under exceptional circumstances and with approval of the President, the Rwenzori star may be awarded to persons other than members of the military.

4. The Masaba Star.

(1) The Masaba Star shall be the fourth highest military decoration.

(2) It shall be awarded to a person under the same circumstances described in the award of the Kabalega Medal, but where the gallantry is not as conspicuous as in the Kabalega Medal.

5. The Damu Medal.

(1) The Damu Medal shall be awarded to any member of the military who was or is wounded in action—

(a) against the enemy;

(b) with an opposing armed or hostile force of a foreign country;

(c) while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which Uganda is not a belligerent party;

(d) as a result of an act of any such enemy or opposing armed force;

(e) as a result of any military operations while serving outside territory of Uganda as part of a peace-keeping force;

(f) as a result of terrorist attack against Uganda;

(g) as a result of injury by the enemy while taken as a prisoner of war;

(h) as a result of a military operation during the liberation struggles.

(2) All officers men and women killed in action during the liberation struggles shall qualify for the Damu Medal.

6. The Luwero Triangle Medal.

(1) The Luwero Triangle Medal is used as the climax of the armed struggles.

(2) The Luwero Triangle medal shall be awarded to any officer, men and women who joined armed struggles against dictatorships in Uganda.

(3) Civilians who operated closely with the armed freedom fighters during struggles against dictatorships shall qualify for the award of this medal.

7. The Kagera Medal.

(1) The Kagera Medal shall be awarded to any officer, man or woman, national or foreign, who participated in fighting dictatorship between 1971 and 1979.

(2) For all the participants who qualify for the award but are foreign, their primary next of kin shall receive the award in the following order—

(a) surviving spouse;

(b) heir;

(d) father or mother;

(e) eldest brother or sister;

(f) eldest grandchild; and

(g) any other next of kin.

(3) In case of any conflict, the family members shall advise the Committee on who is to receive the medal.

8. The Order of Lukaya.

The Order of Lukaya shall be awarded to a person under the same circumstances described in the award of the Kagera Medal but with emphasis on the 1979 battle at Lukaya.

9. The Kyoga Medal.

The Kyoga Medal shall be awarded to officers, men and women of the army who have gallantly fought and defeated insurgencies in different parts of Uganda.

PART III
MISCELLANEOUS.

1. Whenever a title of honour is presented to a person, the citation shall clearly indicate the reasons for the award of the title of honour.

2. Except for the Order of Katonga, the President may delegate the presentation of any other person.

3. Various classes of each award shall have the same design and shape clearly defined and gazetted, provided each class is clearly indicated.

4. Any title of honour may be awarded to an individual more than once; and apart from the title of honour awarded the first time, a bar attached to the ribbon by which the title of honour is suspended shall record each subsequent award.

5.—

(1) Any title of honour may be post-humously awarded to a member of the family of the deceased in accordance with the law of succession and inheritance of Uganda.

(2) In any case where there is conflict as to who should receive the title of honour, the family shall advise the Committee on the appropriate person to receive the title of honour.

*History*
Legislation	Number
Act	14/2001
S.I.	47/2007

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