Uganda's Parliament Passes Controversial Bill on Military Tribunals for Civilians

Despite a January ruling from the Supreme Court that military tribunals lack legal competence to try civilians and fail to meet fair trial standards, Uganda's parliament has passed a bill authorising military tribunals for civilians. The legislation, which permits civilians to be tried in military courts, has drawn condemnation from opposition figures and rights groups, who accuse the government of trying to silence opponents. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, head of the military and son of President Yoweri Museveni, has defended the move, stating that it will "deal decisively with armed violent criminals" and ensure national security.

Key Takeaways:

• The Ugandan parliament has passed a bill authorising military tribunals for civilians, despite a January Supreme Court ruling that such tribunals lack legal competence and fail to meet fair trial standards.
• The bill permits civilians to be tried in military courts, drawing condemnation from opposition figures and rights groups who accuse the government of trying to silence opponents.
• General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, head of the military and son of President Yoweri Museveni, has defended the move, stating that it will "deal decisively with armed violent criminals" and ensure national security.
• The Ugandan government has frequently defended military trials as necessary for national security amid concerns about armed opposition and alleged threats to state stability.
• Critics of the legislation describe it as "shallow, unreasonable, and unconstitutional," with opposition MP Jonathan Odur stating that there is "no legal basis to provide for the trial of civilians in the military court."
• Uganda has for years used military courts to prosecute opposition politicians and government critics, with notable cases including the charges against pop star-turned-opposition-leader Bobi Wine in 2018 and the arrest of veteran opposition figure Kizza Besigye in 2021.

Statistics:

• In 2018, Uganda's pop star-turned-opposition-leader Bobi Wine was charged in a military court with illegal possession of firearms, charges that were later dropped.
• In 2021, veteran opposition figure Kizza Besigye was arrested in Kenya and returned to Uganda to face a military tribunal, which was later moved to a civilian court.
• Human Rights Watch (HRW) has previously criticised Uganda's military courts for failing to meet international standards of judicial independence and fairness, with senior Africa researcher Oryem Nyeko stating that "The Ugandan authorities have for years misused military courts to crack down on opponents and critics".

Sources:

• (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/6/activist-reportedly-held-by-ugandas-military-chief-shows-signs-of-torture)
• (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/2/ugandas-military-chief-says-holding-opposition-activist-in-my-basement)
• (https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/31/uganda-supreme-court-bans-military-trials-civilians)