Uganda's parliament introduces bill to let military courts try civilians

Uganda's parliament introduces bill to let military courts try civilians

KAMPALA - The Ugandan government introduced a bill in parliament on Tuesday that would allow military tribunals to prosecute civilians, months after the country's Supreme Court ruled the practice unconstitutional. Read more at straitstimes.com.

UPDF bill seeking civilian trials in military courts tabled

On Tuesday, May 13, Parliament received the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which proposes allowing military courts to try civilians in specific cases. Defence Minister Jacob Oboth tabled the Bill for its First Reading, and it was sent to the joint Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and the Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs for review. Speaker Anita Among, who chaired the session, urged the committees to …

Uganda’s parliament introduces bill to let military courts try civilians

The Ugandan government introduced a bill in parliament on Tuesday that would allow military tribunals to prosecute civilians, months after the country’s Supreme Court ruled the practice unconstitutional. The top court’s January verdict forced the government to transfer the trial of opposition politician and former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye to a civilian court, where state […]

Parliament, Buganda Kingdom eat big in latest budget increase

The Minister of State for Finance, Henry Musasizi KAMPALA— Uganda’s national budget for the 2025/26 financial year has once again expanded, reaching a substantial 72.7 trillion shillings, as the government allocates more funds to address pressing needs identified by Members of Parliament. State Minister for Finance Henry Musasizi informed the parliamentary budget committee of this latest increase, stating that an additional 1 trillion shillings …

Uganda's parliament allows military trials for civilians

The Ugandan government presented a bill to its parliament on Tuesday that would grant military tribunals the authority to prosecute civilians. This development comes several months after the country’s Supreme Court declared the practice unconstitutional. The Supreme Court’s ruling in January had compelled the government to transfer the trial of opposition figure and former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye to a civilian court. State prosecuto…

COMMENT: Uganda’s Defence Bill 2025 risks militarizing justice and violating civil rights

Defence Bill was tabled in parliament today. FILE PHOTO COMMENT | REGINA ASINDE |  The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (Amendment) Bill, 2025 tabled in parliament today has triggered serious concerns among human rights defenders and constitutional law experts. While the bill purports to streamline military administration and align structures with evolving defence needs, it dangerously extends military court jurisdiction over civilians, threatenin…