By Aggrey Baba
[When a hammer is the only tool you have, every problem starts to look like a nail], and in Uganda’s charged political arena, the government’s hammer of choice appears to be the Court Martial, and the nails, critical voices, are driven deeper into the shadows.
Hon. Muwanga Kivumbi, the National Unity Platform (NUP) Deputy President for Buganda, has raised the voice over what he calls a systematic weaponization of military courts to silence political dissent.
Speaking on NBS TV on Tuesday, February 25, Kivumbi criticized the government’s long-standing practice of trying civilians in the Court Martial, a move the Supreme Court recently ruled unconstitutional.
“Anyone who expresses a desire to demonstrate, even for purely political reasons, is viewed by Museveni as a threat to his government. To him, that person is seen as someone attempting to overthrow the regime,” Kivumbi remarked. “This is why individuals are arrested simply for wearing red overalls, capes, or berets, and are subsequently brought before military courts as though they are insurgents.”
His comments come at a time when the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) is moving to amend the UPDF Act, seeking to cement the Court Martial’s authority over civilians, despite the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Legal experts, opposition figures, and human rights defenders have condemned this push, arguing that it erodes constitutional freedoms and entrenches state repression.
The use of the Court Martial has long been a contentious issue, particularly in opposition circles. Many NUP supporters remain incarcerated in military detention centers, with little to no access to fair trials.
The recent sentencing of Dr. Kizza Besigye’s lawyer, Eron Kiiza, to nine months in prison for contempt of court, later declared unconstitutional, has further fueled the debate. Despite the ruling, Kiiza remains in Kitalya Prison, a situation critics say exposes the government’s disregard for judicial independence.
Is Uganda’s justice system being redefined to serve political interests, or will the rule of law prevail? (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
