Uganda’s parliament has introduced a controversial bill that would grant military courts the authority to try civilians, reigniting concerns over the government’s use of the judiciary to silence political dissent. The “Uganda People’s Defence Forces Bill, 2025,” tabled by Defence Minister Jacob Marksons Oboth on Tuesday, comes just months after the country’s Supreme Court ruled the prosecution of civilians in military courts unconstitutional.
The proposed legislation allows military tribunals to try civilians in “exceptional circumstances,” such as possession of weapons or military equipment deemed the exclusive domain of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF). Critics argue the vague language could be exploited to target regime opponents.
The move follows the high-profile case of opposition figure and former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye, who was forcefully removed from Nairobi, Kenya last November and charged in a Ugandan military court with illegal possession of firearms. Following the Supreme Court ruling, Besigye’s case was transferred to a civilian court, where he now faces charges including treason—allegations he and his supporters claim are politically motivated.
Human rights activists and opposition leaders have condemned the bill as a tool for political persecution. “This law is not about justice; it’s about control,” said David Lewis Rubongoya, secretary general of the National Unity Platform (NUP), the country’s main opposition party. “It will be used to persecute regime opponents and deal with the growing resistance against the regime.”
NUP leader Bobi Wine, who has announced his intention to run against President Yoweri Museveni in the January 2026 election, echoed these sentiments. Wine, a pop star turned politician, has himself been repeatedly arrested and detained under Museveni’s administration.
President Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, is widely expected to seek reelection despite growing domestic and international criticism of his government’s authoritarian tendencies.
The bill has been referred to a parliamentary committee for further scrutiny, but it has already intensified political tensions in Uganda. Critics warn that its passage would reverse recent judicial gains and deepen the erosion of civil liberties under Museveni’s long-standing rule.
