Fri Apr 18 12:17:57 UTC 2025: ## Uganda’s Military Courts: A Tool of Repression Ahead of 2026 Elections

**Kampala, Uganda** – Uganda’s upcoming 2026 general elections are casting a shadow over the country’s human rights record, with the increasing use of military courts to prosecute civilians raising serious concerns. The practice, critics argue, is a blatant attempt by President Yoweri Museveni’s regime to silence dissent and consolidate power.

The case of opposition leader Kizza Besigye and his aide, Obeid Lutale, highlights the issue. Abducted in Kenya and subsequently arraigned in a Ugandan military court on security charges, their rendition sparked international outrage and a strong legal challenge. Despite a Supreme Court ruling in January 2025 declaring the trial of civilians in military courts unconstitutional, President Museveni and his son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, have defied the order.

This defiance is not new. Since 2005, amendments to the UPDF Act have allowed the military to try civilians, resulting in over 1,000 such prosecutions since 2002. The practice violates international and regional human rights standards, raising fears of coerced confessions, unfair trials, and even executions.

While Besigye and Lutale were eventually transferred to a civilian court in February following a hunger strike and widespread condemnation, including from within the ruling party, they remain in detention. Scores of other civilians, including supporters of opposition leader Bobi Wine, continue to face trials in military courts.

The use of military courts is not only seen as a violation of human rights but also as a political strategy to suppress opposition ahead of the elections. International organizations, including Amnesty Kenya and the Pan-African Lawyers Union, are calling for the immediate release of all civilians detained in military courts and an end to this practice. The situation underscores the critical challenges facing Uganda’s justice system and the struggle for democratic freedoms as the country heads towards another election.

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