What will Uganda do about the Supreme Court's decision on military courts?

The Kampala Observer has this helpful roundup of the political response to the Supreme Court's recent decision barring courts-martial of civilians. Stay tuned; it looks like efforts will be made to evade the decision. Excerpt:

Following the ruling, the NRM caucus voted recently in favor of new amendments to the UPDF Act, including a provision allowing the trial of civilians who illegally acquire specified firearms in the Court Martial. Government chief whip Denis Obua confirmed this resolution.

“We resolved that misconduct by serving military personnel will first be tried by the General Court Martial, with the right to appeal through civilian courts. Similarly, civilians who illegally acquire specified firearms will also be tried first by the Court Martial, with the right to appeal through civilian courts,” said government chief whip Denis Obua in a brief statement.

NRM CAUCUS AND THE UPDF AMENDMENT BILL

The caucus decision followed a high-level meeting at State House Entebbe, where members resolved to withdraw the UPDF Amendment Bill 2024 from Parliament. The bill had originally sought to reform the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Act by aligning it with evolving government policies, changes in command structures, and new administrative provisions.

Additionally, it aimed to improve the welfare of defence Forces personnel by addressing gaps in healthcare services, transferring their pension from the ministry of Public Service to the ministry of defence and Veteran Affairs, and strengthening disability compensation mechanisms for military officers and enlisted personnel.

However, the Supreme court’s decision rendered some aspects of the bill legally untenable, necessitating a review before it could proceed in Parliament.  The Supreme court’s ruling stemmed from a constitutional appeal filed by former Nakawa Municipality MP Michael Kabaziguruka, who challenged the military courts’ authority over civilians.