On May 20, 2025, the Parliament of Uganda passed two controversial laws. Human rights defenders, civil society, and democratic actors warn that these laws could significantly erode civic space and threaten democratic participation in the run-up to Uganda’s 2026 General Elections.
The two laws—the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (Amendment) Act, 2025, and the Political Parties and Organisations (Amendment) Act, 2025—introduce sweeping changes with direct implications for political freedoms, judicial independence, and the right to fair trial.
Chapter Four Uganda, a leading human rights organisation and long-time partner of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, sounded the alarm over what it calls “regressive laws… passed without any meaningful public participation,” noting that journalists were deliberately blocked from covering the parliamentary debate, further reducing transparency.
Military Justice vs. Constitutional Order
The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) (Amendment) Act, 2025 expands the military court system and controversially allows for the trial of civilians under military jurisdiction in so-called “exceptional circumstances.” This provision starkly contradicts the 2021 ruling of the Supreme Court in Attorney General v. Hon. Michael Kabaziguruka, which held that trying civilians in military courts is unconstitutional.
Despite this precedent, the new law introduces vague justifications for subjecting civilians to military law, including alleged involvement in aiding military personnel in serious crimes such as treason, robbery, and murder. Critics argue that these clauses undermine the right to a fair trial as guaranteed under Article 28 of Uganda’s Constitution.
“The Bill seeks to circumvent the very judgment the Supreme Court issued,” Chapter Four warns in its joint statement with other civil society actors.
By Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom