President Yoweri Museveni has signed the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Amendment Bill, 2025 into law, officially reinstating military trials for civilians just months after the Supreme Court ruled the practice unconstitutional.
Confirmation of the assent was made in a letter seen by Eagle Online dated June 13, 2025, from the Office of the Clerk to Parliament, Adolf Mwesige Kasaija. The letter, addressed to the Chief Justice, Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, and the First Parliamentary Counsel, states, “Please receive a copy of The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (Amendment) Act, 2025, duly assented to by H. E. the President for your necessary action and retention.”
The new law allows civilians to be tried in military courts under specific circumstances, including offences such as unlawful possession of military weapons, espionage and acts that threaten UPDF operations or national security.
This legal development rolls back a landmark Supreme Court ruling issued in January 2025, which had declared that military courts lack jurisdiction over civilians. The court had ruled that such trials violate the constitutional right to a fair hearing and ordered all civilian cases to be transferred to civilian courts, a decision celebrated by legal activists and human rights groups.
Despite the backlash, the government insists that the new provisions are essential for maintaining national security and that safeguards have been embedded in the legislation to ensure the rights of civilians are respected during military court proceedings.
However, the law’s passage raised criticism among opposition leaders and civil society organizations. On May 20, 2025, Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi led a walkout from Parliament in protest of what he termed a “sham process.”
“When you bring a bill like this, you must give time for public input. This is a shame,” Ssenyonyi said at a press briefing following the walkout. “Letters were sent to stakeholders this very morning asking them to attend. That is not proper consultation.”
He accused the Speaker of locking out key stakeholders, including the Uganda Law Society, political parties, and civil society from a process that should have been consultative and transparent.
“The Speaker had promised to avail time for proper consultation, but over the weekend, the joint committee was already processing the bill. This means stakeholders were locked out and their views ignored,” he charged.
Ssenyonyi also cited procedural violations, arguing that concerns raised during the Bills Committee stage would come too late in the legislative process. “Once you go to the committee stage, you cannot go back to gather stakeholder views. That is why we are calling this a sham process,” he said.
The opposition vowed to challenge the new law in court, arguing that it undermines constitutional protections and disregards a binding Supreme Court judgment.
