Ndiho Media,LLC.

By Ndiho Media

Uganda’s Parliament has passed a controversial bill giving military courts the power to try civilians, openly defying a Supreme Court ruling that banned the practice just months ago.

Opposition lawmakers and legal experts say the move violates Article 92 of the Constitution and undermines judicial independence. The law allows civilians to be court-martialed if their alleged offenses are linked to military operations and requires military judges to be legally trained. But rights groups say it’s another tool to silence dissent as the 2026 elections approach.

President Museveni, in power since 1986, is expected to sign the bill into law. His son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has also backed it, raising alarms about the creeping militarization of justice.

I spoke with Dr. Sarah Bireete, a Ugandan lawyer and Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Governance, for more analysis.

“The bill is a danger to everyone who opposes President Yoweri Museveni, an authoritarian leader who has held power in the East African country since 1986,” she said.

Speaking to Ndiho Media, Dr. Bireete added, “The legislation is an attempt to unconstitutionally grant judicial powers reserved for superior courts to subordinate military courts that have specialized jurisdiction to handle only military disciplinary offenses.”