By Spy Uganda
In a stormy session on Tuesday, Uganda’s Parliament passed two deeply divisive laws: the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Political Parties and Organisations (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The move sparked immediate outrage from the opposition, culminating in a dramatic walkout led by the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, and a vow to challenge the legislation in court.
The most contentious provision in the UPDF (Amendment) Bill is the reinstatement of the General Court Martial, in direct defiance of a landmark February 2025 Supreme Court ruling that declared the military tribunal unconstitutional when used to try civilians.
“This Parliament has chosen to legislate in contempt of the Supreme Court,” Hon. Ssenyonyi declared before leading the opposition benches out of the chamber. “You cannot revive a court that was disbanded for violating human rights.”
The Supreme Court had ruled that court martials lack the independence and safeguards necessary for fair civilian trials and should not function as permanent judicial bodies. Critics warn that Parliament’s move could trigger a constitutional crisis, effectively pitting the legislature against the judiciary.
Political Parties Bill: Forced Participation in NCF
Parliament also passed amendments to the Political Parties and Organisations Act, requiring all registered political parties to join the National Consultative Forum (NCF)—a government-backed platform originally intended for voluntary inter-party dialogue.
The new law empowers the Electoral Commission to deregister any party that refuses to join the NCF or withholds participation, also cutting off their access to public funding. Opposition parties have decried the measure as an attempt to erode political pluralism.
“We cannot be forced into an entity controlled by the regime,” Ssenyonyi said in an earlier statement. “This is not dialogue. This is enforced obedience. The independence of political parties is now under siege.”
Mounting Political Tensions Ahead of 2026 Elections
The legislative blitz follows months of escalating political tension. The opposition has long accused the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) of using state institutions to suppress dissent.
In 2023, opposition parties boycotted NCF meetings, citing bias and lack of meaningful reform. By 2024, security forces had violently disrupted several opposition rallies, drawing condemnation from civil society and human rights organizations.
The February Supreme Court ruling against military trials for civilians was hailed as a rare victory for civil liberties. Tuesday’s developments are now seen as an attempt to reverse that progress.
Legal Battle Looms
Both bills now await President Yoweri Museveni’s assent. The opposition has announced plans to challenge the laws in the Constitutional Court. Legal experts and rights groups have raised alarms, warning that the legislation could undermine democratic freedoms and judicial independence.
“These bills are not just controversial—they are dangerous,” said one constitutional lawyer, who asked not to be named. “They represent a structural shift toward authoritarianism disguised as legal reform.”
With elections looming in 2026, critics say the government is tightening its grip on both the justice system and political space.
