Tensions are rising among opposition political parties as Parliament prepares to vote on the controversial Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Amendment Bill, 2025.
The vote comes amid a high-stakes political moment, with President Yoweri Museveni meeting National Resistance Movement (NRM) Members of Parliament in a closed-door briefing to rally support for the bill.
The proposed legislation, tabled last Tuesday by the government, seeks to amend existing military laws following a recent Supreme Court ruling in January 2025 that barred the trial of civilians in military courts. According to Defence and Veteran Affairs Minister Jacob Oboth Obath, the bill was initially withdrawn earlier this year to incorporate changes aligned with that landmark decision. It is expected to be reintroduced in Parliament later today.
The bill aims to align military law with evolving government policies and the structural transformation of the UPDF, particularly the addition of new service branches. It also proposes reforms aimed at improving the welfare of Defence Forces personnel. These include: Addressing gaps in military healthcare services, decentralizing the Pension Authority from the Ministry of Public Service to the Ministry of Defence, and Veteran Affairs and enhancing disability compensation to ensure fair and adequate benefits for both officers and enlisted personnel
Key judicial reforms in the bill include renaming the Unit Disciplinary Committee to the Unit Court Martial and disbanding the Court Martial Appeals Court. Under the proposed structure, the military justice system will consist of three levels: the Unit Court Martial, the Division Court Martial, and the General Court Martial.
However, opposition leaders have sharply criticized the bill, particularly the proposal to allow the Court Martial to try armed civilians, arguing it contradicts the Supreme Court ruling and undermines human rights
Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyanyi, expressed concern over the speed at which the bill is being pushed through the legislative process.
“I assure everyone that we are ready and will physically attend the session to face any outcome in the vating on the UPDF Amendment Bill,” Ssenyonyi said.
Yusuf Nsibambi, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Chief Whip, confirmed that the party has instructed its MPs to rally both opposition and independent legislators as well as sympathetic NRM MPs-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,” he said.
As opposition MPs prepare for a showdown on the parliamentary floor, NRM legislators are meeting with President Museveni, who is expected to give strategic guidance on navigating the vote.
The final decision on the UPDF Amendment Bill 2025 could have wide-ranging implications for civil-military relations, the rule of law, and the balance of power within Uganda’s legislative framework
