Uganda’s opposition leader Kizza Besigye in prison. Photo/Nile Post
By Daisy Okiring
The Ugandan government is moving forward with a new legislative proposal that could once again permit military tribunals to prosecute civilians—despite a recent Supreme Court ruling that prohibited the practice.
According to Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Nobert Mao, the proposed law has already been drafted and is currently awaiting approval from the cabinet before it can be presented to parliament. The bill aims to establish specific “exceptional circumstances” under which civilians may be subjected to military justice.
Concerns among human rights activists
This move has reignited concerns among human rights advocates and opposition figures, who have repeatedly criticized President Yoweri Museveni’s administration for allegedly using military courts to suppress dissent and target political opponents. The government, however, has consistently denied these accusations.
Read more: Museveni tells off critics over Besigye’s detention
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled against the trial of civilians in military courts, a decision that led to the transfer of prominent opposition figure and former presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye’s case to a civilian judicial process.
Besigye had been arrested in Kenya in November and extradited to Uganda, where he faced charges—including illegal possession of firearms—before a military court. If the proposed legislation is passed, it could potentially return Besigye’s case, and those of others in similar positions, to military jurisdiction. Besigye has now spent nearly five months in custody, with his legal team maintaining that the charges against him are politically motivated
