The bill allows military courts to try civilians, which many people say is wrong and against the country’s laws.
The Leader of the Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, led the walkout. He told the Parliament that the opposition MPs would not take part in passing a law that is unfair and ignores the voices of the people.
The ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), has most of the seats in Parliament. They plan to pass the bill even though the Supreme Court ruled in January 2025 that trying civilians in military courts is illegal.
Joel Ssenyonyi said the process of making this law was not fair. Important people and groups who should have been asked for their views were not given enough time or were not invited at all.
For example, Ssenyonyi said his party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), got a very short notice to come and give their opinion on the bill. The party was invited at 8 am to appear at 9 am on the same day. This was not enough time to prepare for such a big and important bill.
“We wrote to the committee asking for more time because this bill is over 150 pages. It is impossible to read and prepare in one hour. We asked for Monday at 9 am. The committee got our letter but never replied. While we waited, we heard they were already making a report without us. This is a problem.” Ssenyonyi explained.
The Uganda Law Society (ULS) also spoke out about the short notice.
Anthony Asiimwe, the Vice President of ULS, said they were also invited just one hour before the meeting to discuss the bill. This shows the government was not interested in hearing all views.
The opposition MPs said Parliament should work for the people of Uganda. They said laws must be made after listening to those who will be affected.
“We are supposed to be a people-centered Parliament,” said Ssenyonyi.
“If you ignore the people’s views, you are not doing your job well.”
Before walking out, the opposition tried to talk to the Speaker of Parliament. They asked her to stop the process and give more time for consultations. But she did not listen. So, they decided to leave the House to avoid being part of what they called a “sham” process.
“We have tried everything. We appealed to the Speaker to be fair, but she did not respond well. So, we will not support a wrong process. We will take this bill to court.” After the walkout, Ssenyonyi told reporters.
The ruling NRM MPs said they support the bill. They believe it will help the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) do their work better.
The Government Chief Whip, Hamson Obua, said the party had a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni, and they agreed to pass the bill as it is.
This bill is very important because it changes how civilians accused of crimes related to the military will be tried. Normally, civilians are tried in regular courts. The Supreme Court had said military courts cannot try civilians because this is against the law and people’s rights.
But the government wants to allow military courts to try civilians again. This has caused a lot of arguments. Many human rights groups, lawyers, and opposition politicians say this is not good for democracy and justice.
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