NRM MPs Called for Special Meeting at State House Over UPDF Bill Changes

Members of Parliament from Uganda’s ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), have been called to a special caucus meeting at State House in Entebbe. The meeting is set for Friday, May 2, 2025, at 12:00 PM.

The announcement was made on Monday morning by Denis Hamson Obua, who is the Government Chief Whip and the Chairperson of the NRM Parliamentary Caucus. He asked all members to adjust their schedules to attend. An official notice is expected to follow soon.

The meeting comes at a time when Parliament is debating changes to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) law. The Cabinet is expected to finish its discussion on the UPDF Amendment Bill today. If approved, this bill would bring back the rule allowing civilians to be tried in military courts — a rule that the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in 2021.

Back on April 17, 2025, Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao told Parliament about efforts to update the UPDF Act. He said the new Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was prepared by the Directorate of the First Parliamentary Counsel and reviewed by the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs.

If the ministry agrees with the changes, the bill will go to Cabinet for final approval before being sent to Parliament.

This new bill is meant to replace the UPDF (Amendment) Bill of 2024, which was pulled back after the Supreme Court decision in the case of Attorney General vs. Hon. Michael Kabaziguruka. That court decision said trying civilians in military courts goes against Article 28 of the Constitution, which protects the right to a fair and independent hearing.

Minister Mao said the updated bill addresses important areas, such as:

• How military courts are organized and their powers

• Who falls under military law

• Special situations where civilians could be judged by military courts

• Rules about handling weapons, ammunition, and sensitive materials

• Appeals from military courts to civilian courts

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In Uganda, putting civilians on trial in military courts has been heavily criticized for a long time. These courts were originally set up to handle soldiers who broke military law. Over time, however, civilians accused of having military equipment, guns, or ammunition were also tried there.

Human rights groups have argued that military courts are not fair for civilians because they are controlled by the military and lack full independence. The 2021 Supreme Court ruling confirmed that civilian trials must take place in independent civilian courts, not military ones.

Now, many are watching to see if the new UPDF Amendment Bill will truly respect the Constitution and follow the court's decision.