This decision was made during a meeting held at State House Entebbe on Monday, May 20, 2025. The meeting was led by President Yoweri Museveni and brought together members of the NRM caucus to discuss important laws that are going to be debated in Parliament.
After the meeting, the Government Chief Whip, Denis Hamson Obua, spoke to the media. He announced that the NRM MPs had all agreed to support the UPDF Amendment Bill without any opposition.
He also said that they support a Private Member’s Bill that aims to change the Political Parties and Organisations Act.Obua explained that the decision to support the UPDF Amendment Bill is not new.
The NRM caucus had agreed on it earlier, and the move is also in response to a ruling by the Supreme Court of Uganda. The court had ordered changes in the UPDF Act to make sure that it fits with the country’s Constitution.
The UPDF Amendment Bill is meant to improve the way the military works. It wants to update the structure of the UPDF and clearly define certain terms like “service offence,” “court martial,” “military court,” and “reserve force.”
The Bill also wants to reorganize how military courts work so they follow the law and serve justice better. However, the Bill has not been welcomed by everyone. Members of the opposition in Parliament are against it. They believe the Bill is dangerous because it might allow civilians to be tried in military courts.
They say this is unfair and against the Constitution of Uganda. The opposition has promised to challenge the Bill in Parliament and has even warned of protests and walkouts during the debate.
In addition to the UPDF Bill, the NRM MPs also supported another proposal from Napak Woman MP Faith Nakut. This new Bill wants to change how political parties receive government funding.
Right now, political parties that have seats in Parliament are allowed to get money from the government. But this new proposal wants all parties to first become members of the Inter-Party Organisation for Dialogue (IPOD) before receiving any funds.
Faith Nakut said the current law does not encourage peace, tolerance, and dialogue among political parties. She believes that by requiring parties to join IPOD, there will be more unity and less fighting in Uganda’s politics.
She added that public money should only go to political parties that are ready to follow democratic values. The NRM caucus has fully backed her proposal as well. Government Chief Whip Obua said that it is important to support reforms that make politics more peaceful and that help improve how political parties operate.
As Parliament begins to debate the UPDF Amendment Bill, the country is watching closely. The Bill has sparked strong reactions from both the government and the opposition. Some see it as a step towards improving national security, while others worry it could reduce freedoms and give too much power to the military.
What happens in Parliament over the next few days will be very important. Ugandans are hoping that lawmakers will consider both security needs and citizens’ rights as they debate and vote on this sensitive Bill.
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