Tensions are running high as the Parliament prepares for a contentious second reading of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Amendment Bill, 2025, scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
The bill, which seeks to grant military courts the authority to try civilians under specific circumstances, has sparked widespread criticism from activists, legal experts, and opposition leaders, who argue it undermines a January 2025 Supreme Court ruling declaring such trials unconstitutional.
In a move signaling the government’s anticipation of unrest, personnel from the Special Forces Command (SFC) have significantly bolstered security around the Parliament building.
There is a heavy deployment of SFC personnel around Parliament’s perimeter, with armed officers stationed at key entrances and checkpoints.
The atmosphere is tense. There are more soldiers than usual, and they’re checking everyone thoroughly.
The increased security measures suggest the government is bracing for potential protests or disruptions, given the bill’s polarizing nature.
The UPDF Amendment Bill, tabled by Defence Minister Jacob Oboth-Oboth on May 13, aims to restructure military courts and align the UPDF Act with recent judicial rulings and government policies.
Among its 67 clauses, the bill proposes establishing new services like the Special Forces Command and Reserve Force, decentralizing pension management, and improving healthcare for military personnel.
However, the most controversial provision, Clause 117A, would allow civilians to be tried in military courts for offenses such as possessing military equipment, wearing UPDF uniforms without permission, or aiding armed forces members in committing crimes.
The beefed-up security presence recalls past incidents of parliamentary unrest, notably during the 2017 debates to remove the presidential age limit, when scuffles broke out between MPs and security forces.
Today, the opposition MPs led by Joel Ssenyonyi are scheduled to hold a meeting to decide whether or not they will attend tomorrow’s session.
Some opposition MPs have argued that they need to attend the debate to go on the record that they opposed the bill.
The NRM government and its apparatchiks have defended the new amendment.
Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka, appearing before the Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, dismissed claims that the Supreme Court banned civilian trials in military courts outright.
“The ruling pointed out procedural and constitutional defects, not an outright ban,” he said on May 14, 2025.
Critics fear the bill could be used to silence dissent, particularly as Uganda approaches the 2026 general elections. Historical precedents, such as the 2016 Kasese massacre and reports of torture by security forces, fuel concerns about unchecked military power.
The bill’s provision to try civilians for offenses like wearing certain attire or possessing military equipment has raised alarms about potential abuses, with MP Medard Lubega Ssegona calling it “a bad-intentioned law to silence dissent.”
As Parliament gears up for tomorrow’s debate, there is fear that we could witness ugly scenes that have characterized some of the contentious debates in the House.
