The Ugandan government is moving to reintroduce a law that would allow military tribunals to try civilians under specific conditions, a controversial move that directly challenges a recent Supreme Court ruling banning the practice.
Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Nobert Mao told parliament late Thursday that the proposed law had already been drafted and is awaiting cabinet approval before being tabled in parliament. He said it would define “exceptional circumstances under which a civilian may be subject to military law.”
In January, Uganda’s Supreme Court ruled that military courts had no jurisdiction over civilians, prompting the government to transfer the trial of long-time opposition leader and former presidential candidate Kizza Besigye to a civilian court. The new legislation, if passed, could potentially reverse that decision and send Besigye’s case back to a military court.
Besigye, a vocal critic of President Yoweri Museveni’s government, has been in detention for nearly five months. He was arrested in Kenya in November and later transferred to Uganda, where he was charged in a military court-martial with illegal possession of firearms and other offences. His lawyers and supporters insist the charges are politically motivated.
The proposed law has drawn immediate criticism from human rights activists and opposition figures, who have long accused Museveni’s administration of using military courts to silence dissent. The government denies the allegations, insisting the tribunals are lawful and necessary for national security.
The bill’s introduction is likely to intensify political tensions and stir debate over the separation of military and civilian judicial authority in Uganda.
