Event Summary
On 20 May 2025, Uganda’s Parliament passed the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (Amendment) Bill, 2025, reintroducing provisions that allow military courts to try civilians under certain “military-related” offenses, such as treason, terrorism, or possession of military-grade weapons. The bill also restructures the courts-martial, creates a Directorate of Military Prosecutions, and formalizes the role of the Special Forces Command.
This legislative move directly contradicts the 31 January 2025 Supreme Court ruling (Attorney General vs. Hon. Michael Kabaziguruka), which declared civilian trials in military courts unconstitutional. At the time, this ruling was reported through the EU SEE mechanism as an Improvement Alert (March 2025), highlighting its potential to protect civic freedoms. The new amendment bill, however, reverses that progress.
Civil society and legal actors have already reacted. On 16 June 2025, the Uganda Law Society (ULS) announced its intention to challenge the constitutionality of the UPDF Amendment Act in the Constitutional Court. In its statement, ULS emphasized its long-standing commitment to demilitarization, human rights, separation of powers, and judicial independence.
The law was passed amid political tension in the run-up to the 2026 elections and is widely seen by civil society as a tool to entrench militarization and suppress opposition. Critics warn that it could be used to target political leaders, activists, and journalists under vaguely defined offenses, and to intimidate citizens through restrictions such as banning the use of military attire by civilians. The bill therefore represents a significant deterioration of the enabling environment, undermining judicial independence, reversing previous gains, and increasing the risk of repression in the electoral context.