Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed into law a controversial bill that would allow civilians to be tried in military courts. The move has sparked widespread concern among opposition figures and rights activists ahead of the country’s presidential elections in January 2026.
The law, which was made public on social media by the Ugandan parliament, comes just months after the Supreme Court ruled that the trial of civilians in military courts was unconstitutional. The ruling cited the case of opposition leader Kizza Besigye. Besigye, a long-time critic of Museveni, was kidnapped by gunmen in Nairobi last November and later tried in a military court in Uganda on charges of treason, a crime punishable by death. Following the highest court’s ruling, his case was eventually transferred to a civilian court.
Despite this judicial precedent, the new law allows civilians to be subjected to military justice under “exceptional circumstances,” such as the alleged possession of illegal weapons, one of the charges Besigye still faces. Critics argue that the law undermines judicial independence and is designed to silence political opposition.
Besigye’s lawyer Erias Lukwago condemned the law, describing it as a tool for the “illegal detention and prosecution of Besigye and others.” Besigye remains in custody beyond the legal limit of six months without trial.
Leading opposition leader Bobi Wine, also known as Robert Kyagulanyi, said the opposition was under direct threat. “All of us in the opposition are being targeted by the Law,” he told reporters.
Human rights defender Eron Kiiza, who previously spent six months in military detention while defending Besigye, announced plans to challenge the law in court.
Rights groups warn that the new law could be used to intimidate and arrest political opponents as Museveni, who is in his 80s and has been in power for nearly 40 years, prepares to extend his rule in elections next year.