President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has signed into law a controversial bill that permits the trial of civilians in military courts, despite a recent Supreme Court ruling that deemed such trials unconstitutional, according to AFP.
The new law, signed on Monday, has sparked outrage among human rights organizations and opposition leaders, who see it as a threat to civil liberties ahead of Uganda’s 2026 general elections.
In January, Uganda’s Supreme Court had ruled that military trials for civilians violated constitutional rights. That judgment came after the abduction of opposition leader Kizza Besigye in Nairobi in late 2024. Besigye was charged with treason—a capital offense—before a military tribunal, only to have his case later moved to a civilian court in line with the ruling.
The newly enacted law, however, introduces “exceptional circumstances” under which civilians can still face military justice, including for charges such as “unlawful possession of arms, ammunition, or equipment”—one of the allegations currently facing Besigye.
Uganda’s Parliament confirmed the law’s signing via its official X (formerly Twitter) account.
Opposition, Legal Community React
Besigye’s legal representative, Erias Lukwago, criticized the legislation, stating it was designed to justify the continued “illegal detention and trial of Besigye and other opposition figures.”
Besigye has now been detained for over six months—exceeding the legally permitted duration for holding suspects without trial.
Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine and a prominent opposition leader, condemned the law, telling AFP: “All of us in the opposition are being targeted by this Act.”
Human rights lawyer Eron Kiiza, who was previously imprisoned by a military court while representing Besigye, has vowed to challenge the law in court.
Critics say the timing of the law’s passage and Besigye’s ongoing prosecution point to an effort to suppress opposition ahead of the presidential election scheduled for January 2026. Museveni, now 80, is widely expected to seek a seventh term, which would extend his presidency beyond four decades.
