President Yoweri Museveni has finally signed into law the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (Amendment) Act, 2025 that allows civilians to be tried in military courts under undefined exceptional circumstances.
The announcement was made via Uganda Parliament’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle, confirming that the President had assented to the Bill undoing a January 31 Supreme Court ruling that outlawed the military prosecution of civilians.
The law passed by parliament on May 20th reinstates controversial clauses previously deemed unconstitutional. It does not explicitly define what constitutes exceptional circumstances under which civilians can now face court martial proceedings.
The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (Amendment) Bill, 2025, has significant implications for both the military and civilians in Uganda. It allows for the trial of civilians in military courts for military-related offenses, streamlines the military justice system, and enhances the protection of veterans’ affairs.
About 197 ruling NRM legislators pushed the Bill through, unanimously voting for all its clauses without amendment.
Addressing the public hours after the Bill was passed, President Museveni praised Parliament, particularly NRM MPs and what he termed “friendly opposition”, for averting what he described as a looming institutional crisis between the army, legislature, and judiciary.
“I want to congratulate the Members of Parliament for passing the UPDF Amendment Bill,” Museveni said last month. “There was going to be a serious problem because some people were saying if a soldier commits a crime like killing, theft, or rape, they should be taken to civilian courts instead of the court martial. That was going to cause a serious collision between the army, Parliament, and the courts of law. They have saved us the embarrassment.”
UPDF is a nonpartisan force, national in character, patriotic, professional, disciplined, productive and subordinate to the civilian authority as established under the constitution.
The UPDF’s interest is to protect Uganda and africa atlarge. Providing a safe and secure environment in which all Ugandan citizens can live and prosper.