Agency
President Yoweri Museveni has assented to the controversial Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (Amendment) Act, 2025, which grants military courts the power to try civilians. In May this year, Members of Parliament from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), leveraging their numerical strength, passed the UPDF (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The new law paves the way for civilians to be tried in military courts, a move that has sparked widespread criticism.
On Monday, Parliament announced on its official X (formerly Twitter) account that the President had signed the bill into law. The post included screenshots of the assented Act. The legislation introduces significant reforms to the military justice system. It restructures health services for armed forces personnel and streamlines the handling of veterans’ affairs.
Section 117A of the Act creates Schedule B, which outlines military stores considered the exclusive preserve of the Defence Forces, including items such as ceremonial shoes for officers and soldiers. Section 83 introduces Schedule 7A, which classifies pistols and other weapons as restricted items under the monopoly of the Defence Forces.
The Act also establishes a Directorate of Military Prosecutions to professionalize the prosecution process. The Director must be a serving member of the Defence Forces, not below the rank of Colonel, and qualified to be appointed a High Court Judge.
The legislation lays out a clear appellate structure for military court decisions, moving from the Unit Court Martial to the Division Court Martial, then to the General Court Martial, followed by the Court of Appeal, and ultimately, the Supreme Court. According to Section 202C, members of courts martial are required to be independent and impartial in the performance of their judicial functions and shall not be subject to command.
The Chairperson of the Unit Court Martial must hold a Bachelor of Laws degree and a postgraduate diploma in legal practice. The law is widely seen as a direct response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Attorney General vs. Hon. Michael A. Kabaziguruka, a constitutional appeal which found that the trial of civilians in military courts under the previous UPDF Act was unconstitutional.
However, opposition MPs have vowed to challenge the new law in court, accusing the government of acting in contempt of the Supreme Court’s directive and failing to conduct adequate public consultations. Civil society actors have also echoed similar sentiments, having previously participated in efforts that led to the court’s ruling against trying civilians in military courts.
President Museveni, while addressing residents from the Greater Luwero District, praised MPs for passing the law. He argued that it would help curb the misuse of military equipment and combat armed criminality more effectively.
“There was going to be a serious problem,” Museveni said. “Some people were saying that if a soldier commits crimes such as murder, theft, or rape, they should be taken to sub-county (civilian) courts instead of court martial. Those who were involved have to repent. There was going to be a serious collision between the army, Parliament, and the courts of law, but they have saved us from embarrassment.”
