Opposition Members of Parliament walked out of Parliament before a scheduled vote on the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and Political Parties Bills.
Despite an earlier agreement by the National Unity Platform (NUP) and the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) to participate in the decision-making process, the opposition parties exited the chamber before the vote. Their walkout effectively cleared the path for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), the proponents of the two bills, to proceed without resistance.
The Political Parties Bill has since been passed by Parliament and now awaits presidential assent. The legislation mandates dialogue among political parties to address and shape Uganda’s political landscape.
This vote comes at a politically charged moment, following a closed-door meeting between President Yoweri Museveni and NRM MPs, where he urged support for the bill.
The UPDF Amendment Bill, tabled last Tuesday, aims to revise military laws in response to a Supreme Court ruling from January 2025 that prohibits the trial of civilians in military courts.
Defence and Veteran Affairs Minister Jacob Oboth Oboth noted that the bill had been withdrawn earlier in the year to allow for revisions aligning it with the court’s decision. It is expected to be reintroduced in Parliament later today.
Key provisions in the proposed legislation include restructuring the UPDF by adding new service branches and reforming military welfare.
Notable reforms include: Improving healthcare services for military personnel, transferring the Pension Authority from the Ministry of Public Service to the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, and enhancing disability compensation for both officers and enlisted personnel judicial reforms in the bill propose renaming the Unit Disciplinary Committee to the Unit Court Martial and disbanding the Court Martial Appeals Court. The military justice system would be reorganized into three tiers: the Unit Court Martial, the Division Court Martial, and the General Court Martial.
Opposition leaders have fiercely criticized the bill, particularly the clause permitting the Court Martial to try armed civilians, as contradictory to the Supreme Court ruling and a violation of human rights.
Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, voiced concern over the bill’s fast-tracked progress.
FDC Chief Whip Yusuf Nsibambi confirmed that the party had instructed its MPs to mobilize opposition, independent, and sympathetic NRM legislators to vote against the bill.
“We are ready for tomorrow and will vote against the bill because it violates human rights and defies the Supreme Court ruling barring the trial of civilians in military courts,” Nsibambi stated yesterday.
The outcome of the UPDF Amendment Bill 2025 is expected to have significant implications for civil-military relations, the rule of law, and the legislative balance of power in Uganda.
