On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, Uganda’s parliament passed a controversial bill allowing military tribunals to try civilians, despite a January Supreme Court ruling banning such trials for lacking fairness and legal competence.
The opposition, rights groups, and critics condemned the move as unconstitutional and a threat to democracy ahead of the 2026 elections.
The law, in use for two decades, has been criticised by opposition leaders and Human Rights Watch for failing international judicial standards, using torture-extracted evidence, and targeting government critics.
The military denies these claims.
Opposition Slams New Law as Unconstitutional
The new bill permits civilian trials in military courts if offenses are linked to military personnel, requiring presiding officers to be legally qualified.
However, opposition MP Jonathan Odur called it “shallow, unreasonable, and unconstitutional,” arguing there’s “no legal basis” for such trials.
Military chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba praised the bill, saying on X, “Today, you proved you are fearless patriots! Uganda will remember your courage.”
Military spokesman Chris Magezi stated the law would “deal decisively with armed violent criminals” and “deter militant political groups” to ensure national security.
History of Military Courts Targeting Opposition
Conversely, rights group Chapter Four labelled it an “unconstitutional” attempt to grant judicial powers to military courts, which are meant for military disciplinary cases.
The Supreme Court’s January ruling had forced the transfer of opposition leader Kizza Besigye’s treason trial from a military to a civilian court.
Besigye, detained in Kenya in 2024 and a frequent challenger to President Yoweri Museveni, faces charges his party, the People’s Front for Freedom, deems politically motivated. Similarly, opposition leader Bobi Wine faced military charges in 2018, later dropped.
President Museveni, in power since 1986, is expected to sign the bill soon, having criticised the Supreme Court’s decision, stating, “The country is not governed by the judges.”
He and Kainerugaba had opposed the ruling, with the latter openly aspiring to succeed his father. Museveni, 80, is set to run again in 2026, amid concerns of a potential succession by Kainerugaba in a bloodless coup, as Uganda has never seen a peaceful power transfer since independence in 1962.
Opposition members walked out of parliament in protest before the bill’s passage, signalling deep unrest as the country approaches a tense political transition.