Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed into law legislation permitting military tribunals to try civilians, the country’s parliament announced on Monday, a move opposition leaders say contravenes a Supreme Court ruling.
Rights groups have long accused the government of using military courts to target political opponents of Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for nearly four decades.
However, presidential aides have rejected these claims, insisting that only civilians involved in armed political violence are prosecuted in such courts.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court declared the practice unconstitutional, effectively banning the use of military tribunals for civilians. That decision stemmed from challenges to previous legislation in the lower courts.
In response, the Museveni administration introduced new legislation to reinstate the practice, which was passed by parliament last month.
“President @KagutaMuseveni has assented to The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (Amendment) Act, 2025,” parliament stated in a post on X.
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Following the bill’s passage, the army’s spokesperson welcomed the move, claiming it would “deter the formation of militant political groups that seek to subvert democratic processes”.
The opposition maintains that the new law directly violates the Supreme Court’s ruling and may once again be subject to judicial review if challenged by citizens.
The court’s earlier decision led to the transfer of opposition leader Kizza Besigye’s case including treason charges from a military to a civilian court.
Meanwhile, Uganda’s most prominent opposition figure, pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine, is preparing to run against Museveni in next year’s general election. He had previously been charged in a military tribunal for illegal possession of firearms, though the charges were later dropped.
