Museveni: Magistrates who have failed to handle pig theft want to try soldiers?
President Museveni delivers his remarks in Kikuube District on May 23, 2025. PHOTO/IBRAHIM KAVUMA
What you need to know:
- Museveni also explained that "individuals who are not soldiers but use firearms have effectively chosen to be subject to the military law."
President Museveni on Friday fired back for the second time in less than a week at critics of the recently passed UPDF (Amendment) Bill, which grants military courts the authority to try civilians suspected of serious crimes linked to soldiers.
Speaking at a thanksgiving rally for State Minister for Public Service Mary Grace Mugasa in Kikuube District, Museveni defended the legislation, saying security remains the foundation for national development.
He criticized young, “bearded” opposition MPs who had proposed that soldiers accused of serious crimes like murder, rape, or theft of military funds be tried in civilian courts.
“These young, bearded MPs are there wisaking and proposed that if a soldier commits a serious crime like murder, rape or theft of military money, he or she can be taken to a magistrate,” Museveni said.
Public service state minister Mary Grace Mugasa and husband Aloysius Mugasa attend their thanksgiving ceremony in Kikuube District on May 23, 2025. PHOTO/HANDOUT
He questioned the capacity of civilian courts, adding: “Magistrate… How can a magistrate handle soldiers, yet they’ve failed to handle petty crimes of pig theft?”
“Those magistrates you see have failed to handle people stealing pigs and causing insecurity in villages and now they are interfering with the army.”
Museveni warned that the opposition MPs were taking a “big risk,” but praised ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) MPs for blocking the proposals.
He said soldiers cannot be tried by magistrates because some military information is classified.
“Otherwise, these MPs would be engaging in childish behavior,” said Museveni, who has been in power since 1986 following a guerrilla war.
The UPDF (Amendment) Bill, passed by Parliament earlier this week, allows military courts jurisdiction over civilians involved in serious offenses including treason, murder, and aggravated robbery when linked to soldiers.
Opposition lawmakers and legal experts have condemned the Bill as an attack on constitutional rights and judicial independence.
But Museveni defended the Bill by emphasizing the army’s long-standing discipline and international recognition.
“Since 1971, the NRA has built a very strong army with international recognition for more than 50 years,” he said.
President Museveni arrives in Kikuube District on May 23, 2025 to attend the thanksgiving ceremony of public service state minister Mary Grace Mugasa and husband Aloysius Mugasa. PHOTO/HANDOUT
Museveni further explained that individuals who are not soldiers but use firearms have effectively chosen to be subject to the military law.
“We NRA fighters long decided that if someone is not a soldier and uses firearms, we’d have no option but to handle the suspect as an offender under military law since one would have voluntarily chosen that path,” Museveni said.
The Bill now awaits Museveni’s assent, which is widely expected given his vocal backing of the legislation.
