
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has rejected a Supreme Court ruling that outlawed the prosecution of civilians in military courts, vowing to continue the practice despite the decision declaring it unconstitutional.
On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that military trials for civilians violated the constitution and ordered all pending cases to be transferred to civilian courts. The decision was seen as a legal victory for opposition figures, including Kizza Besigye, who is currently facing trial in a military tribunal.
However, Museveni dismissed the ruling as “wrong” and defended military courts as a crucial tool for maintaining order, particularly in Uganda’s violence-hit Karamoja region.
“The country is not governed by judges,” he said in a statement on Saturday. “The military courts helped us to discipline Karamoja. We cannot and will not abandon this useful instrument for stability.”
Human rights groups and opposition politicians have long accused Museveni’s government of using military courts to silence dissent, arguing that the tribunals—whose officials are appointed by the president—lack independence.
Prominent opposition figures, including musician-turned-politician Bobi Wine, have previously faced military trials on weapons-related charges. Besigye, a veteran opponent of Museveni, was arrested in Kenya last November and returned to Uganda, where he remains in detention under a military court’s jurisdiction. His lawyers had expected his case to be moved to a civilian court following Friday’s ruling.
Museveni, in power since 1986, has yet to announce whether he will run in next year’s elections, though he is widely expected to seek another term.