Key Information:
- Dr. Besigye was taken from Nairobi, Kenya in November, and secretly returned to Uganda. He was later presented in the General Court Martial in Makindye, Kampala. Dr. Besigye and Lutale, who was arrested with him in Nairobi, were later charged with illegally possessing firearms in the General Court Martial.
- At present, multiple supporters of the NUP who were detained in 2021 following the presidential elections are currently being held in prison after they were charged in the General Court Martial.
"This particular meeting is when the NRM Parliamentary caucus will now receive in-depth proposals from the Attorney General's chambers and will then be in a position to scrutinize them and determine what will be part of the UPDF Act amendments," Mr. Obua said.
When asked about the specifics of the proposed changes in the UPDF Act, Mr. Obua said "We cannot discuss the details now as they are only available to the Attorney General's Office and the Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs."
He added, "So until Friday, we can't unpack proposals made by the Attorney General in consultation with the Defense Ministry."
The same meeting will discuss the corrective measures to be taken to fill the funding gaps in government programs and projects impacted by the suspension of US foreign aid and grant funding.
"We will also consider this in the budget priorities' discussion as we need to see where we can make cuts to make room for it," he said.
The meeting takes place amidst mounting demands for the release of ailing veteran opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye, his aide Obeid Lutale, their lawyer Eron Kiiza, and National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters, among other political prisoners. These individuals were being prosecuted in the General Court Martial and other military courts, but the Supreme Court has ordered their cases to be transferred to the ordinary courts that have jurisdiction over them, effectively halting their prosecutions.
The government still has not put into effect the Supreme Court's January 31 directives.
However, President Museveni and his son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who serves as the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), have publicly criticized the Supreme Court judges for their "wrong decision". Critics accuse President Museveni, who seized power in 1986 through a guerrilla war, of using military courts to "persecute" his political opponents.
BACKGROUND
Dr. Besigye was taken from Nairobi, Kenya in November and secretly transported back to Uganda. He was later presented at the General Court Martial in Makindye, Kampala. Dr. Besigye and Lutale, who had been arrested with him in Nairobi, were later charged with the unauthorized possession of firearms in the General Court Martial.
Several supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) who were detained in 2021 following the presidential elections are currently still imprisoned, awaiting trial in the General Court Martial after being charged.
Between their arrest in 2021 and the Supreme Court verdict on January 31, 2025, the state was unable to provide evidence to support the charges of treason, treachery, and possessing explosives illegally that had been brought against them.
According to President Museveni, the military courts have also allowed his government to maintain peace and stability in the unstable, resource-rich Karamoja sub region by prosecuting and convicting hundreds of suspected young warriors, known locally as Karachunas.