Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni declared on Saturday that his government will continue prosecuting civilians in military courts, despite the country’s Supreme Court ruling the practice unconstitutional.
The court issued a landmark decision on Friday, barring the trial of civilians in military tribunals and mandating the transfer of all ongoing cases to civil courts.
Key opposition figure Kizza Besigye’s legal team welcomed the ruling, stating it offered him a measure of relief amid his prosecution by Uganda’s general court martial.
However, in a defiant statement, Museveni dismissed the court’s verdict as misguided and insisted that military prosecutions play a vital role in maintaining national security.
“The country is not governed by the judges,” he asserted. “The military courts helped us to discipline Karamoja. We cannot and will not abandon this useful instrument for stability.”
For years, human rights groups and opposition leaders have accused Museveni’s administration of exploiting military courts to suppress political opponents and stifle dissent.
Unlike independent civilian judges, military court officials are directly appointed by the president, raising concerns over impartiality in politically charged cases.
Pop star-turned-opposition leader Bobi Wine previously faced military prosecution on weapons charges, fueling allegations of judicial manipulation.
Besigye, a longtime Museveni rival, was arrested in Kenya last November, extradited to Uganda, and charged in a military court with weapons and security offenses.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, his lawyers announced he would no longer appear before the military tribunal on Monday as previously scheduled.
Having ruled Uganda since 1986, Museveni has yet to confirm whether he will seek re-election next year, though widespread speculation suggests he intends to extend his decades-long grip on power.