Amidst Supreme Court Ruling Disbanding Military Court Martial, UPDF Insists on Trial of Dr Besigye and Several Other Civilians.

The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) has declared that the General Court Martial will continue trying individuals accused of armed rebellion, terrorism, and conspiracy to murder the president, despite a Supreme Court ruling limiting its jurisdiction over civilians.

Col. Chris Magezi, Military Assistant in charge of Public Relations for the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), made the statement on his official X (formerly Twitter) account. He emphasized that the military court retains authority over cases involving national security threats.

"Under no circumstances will Col. Kizza Besigye be released until he faces the full extent of martial law," Magezi wrote. He added that the final decision on the matter rests with the Commander-in-Chief and Chairman of the High Command, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

His statement follows a nearly unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court, which held that military courts lack the authority to try civilians. The judges argued that court martial officials do not require legal training, making their rulings legally questionable.

Chief Justice Alfonse Owinyi-Dollo observed that military court judges do not require legal training, raising concerns about their jurisdiction over cases such as treason.

The ruling has sparked discussions on the role of military courts in handling security-related offenses.