|
Citizen Posts
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The January 31st Supreme Court ruling in the Attorney General Vs Micheal Kabaziguruka, operations of UPDF’s General Court martial were frozen when it was stopped from trying civilians whom it had remanded for years especially the political prisoners of National Unity Platform.
By the time the court’s powers were trimmed, it was headed by Brig Gen Robert Freeman Mugabe who took over over from Lt Gen Andrew Gutti in August 2022. The Court was at the time also trying Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Hajji Obed Lutale and 100s of NUP prisoners who have been in prison for over four years.
The Supreme Court ruling delivered by the Chief Justice Alphonse Owiny Dollo directed all active civilian cases before the General Court Martial to be transferred to the civilian courts like the Magistrates Court, High Courts among those presided over by professional judges.
The only active case transferred and handed over to the Director of Prosecution (DPP) was that of Dr. Kiiza Besigye who had his cases mentioned in a lower court in Nakawa before being taken to the high court. In the revised charge sheet, Besigye was nolonger being charged with possession of firearms.
Majority of civilians especially supporters of NUP who were facing the Court Martial at the time it’s powers were trimmed are still in prison and their cases have never been transferred to civilian courts and might face the newly structured court martial.
Following the ruling, president Museveni openly disagreed with the findings of the Apex court and hurriedly started engaging his NRM members of parliament to quickly push for amendments to bring the General Court Martial back to life.
The amendments were pushed through parliament and the general court martial was given another lease of life to try civilians in what was seen as a move to continue trying civilians in the court where getting bail was as difficult as walking on foot from Kampala to Tokyo Japan.
Now ahead of the 2026 general Elections, acting on the guidance of the Attorney General and the Judicial Service Commission, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who is also the Commander in Chief of the armed forces has reconstituted the General Court Martial with new bosses.
Among those appointed to the new General Court Martial include; Brig Gen Tukachungurwa Richard as the Chairperson. The others are Col Wankandya Simon Tusah, Col Asha Patra, Col Kangwamu Fredrick, Col Mugisha Raphael, Lt Col Igambi Muhammed Nasser, Maj Amadoi Samuel Moses, Maj Arihaihi Emmanuel, Maj Nyombi Abubaker and Maj Chemutai Denis as members of the court.
The president has also appointed Lt Col Draru Epani David as Chairperson of the Fourth Division Court Martial and Lt. Col Mulyanti Yaqoub Hassan as Chairperson of the One Special Forces Group Division.
Bravo, Brig. Gen. Richard Tukachungurwa Uganda’s new General Court Martial Chair. pic.twitter.com/pKFZyGAQmr
— Hon. Arnold Ankunda (@HonAnkunda) December 3, 2025
If you have a story in your community or an opinion article, let’s publish it. Send us an email via citizenposts24@gmail.com. Follow our WhatsApp Channel HERE to see more of our stories.
