Ugandan Lawmakers Pass Bill To Authorize Civilian Trials In Military Courts

President Museveni inspects a guard of honour during the pass-out of soldiers in 2023. PHOTO/ABUBAKER LUBOWA

Source: Africa Publicity

A new bill authorizing civilian trials in military courts in Uganda has been passed by the East African nation’s lawmakers.

The bill was passed on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. According to the bill, civilians in Uganda can be court-martialed if their alleged offenses are “in support of or in association with persons subject to military law.”

Ugandan dictatorial leader, President Yoweri Museveni who has held onto power since 1986, is expected to sign the bill into law in the coming few days.

The bill was introduced in 2025 after Uganda’s Supreme Court ruled that civilians can’t be court-martialed. The Court had questioned the legal competence of untrained military officers to dispense justice. However, the bill says military officers to preside over such trials must be qualified in law.

But President Museveni and his son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba condemned the Supreme Court’s ruling which sought to effectively disband court-martials in Uganda.

Days after the Supreme Court’s ruling, officials of Museveni’s authoritarian government started the process of introducing a law to keep military courts active.

President Museveni had noted in a statement following the court’s decision that “The country is not governed by the judges.”

Despite immense support from Museveni and his son for civilians to stand trials in military courts, opposition figures, human rights activists and other groups have opposed the bill, saying introducing such a legislation is an anti-democratic effort as Uganda heads into its next general elections scheduled for 2026. Museveni, the 80 years old dictatorial leader who has been in power for 39 years

and now seemingly unfit for office, is seeking to run for presidency once again in the 2026 elections.