Uganda’s National Unity Platform (NUP) secretary general, David Rubongoya, has described the Supreme Court ruling against the trial of civilians in military courts as a hollow victory, highlighting persistent injustices that continue to plague the country’s legal system.
Speaking during a reflection on the landmark January 31, 2025, decision, Rubongoya said the day had initially brought hope.
“We rejoiced. We chanted. We celebrated,” he recalled, remembering the relief of those who had repeatedly visited the Makindye military court to support political prisoners.
The ruling, which ostensibly ended the trial of civilians in military courts, was initially seen as a triumph for justice and civil liberties.
However, Rubongoya emphasized that the optimism was short-lived.
“Firstly, the files involving political prisoners have not been transferred to civilian courts, and our comrades continue to languish in jail, five, six years later,” he noted.
He added that the law was quickly re-enacted in nearly identical terms, allowing civilians to continue facing military tribunals.
Perhaps most distressing, Rubongoya argued, was that the procedural abuses characteristic of military courts had now seeped into the ordinary court system.
“One can hardly tell what difference the ruling made,” he said.
Rubongoya listed the core grievances with military courts, including prolonged detention without trial, the use of trumped-up charges, denial of bail at the behest of military command, restricted media access, and remand of torture victims or those held incommunicado.
These practices, he said, now appeared replicated in ordinary courts, undermining the principles of fairness and accountability.
He also reflected on an early misconception that the military courts’ failings stemmed from a lack of formal legal training.
“Nobody imagined that some judicial officials—well trained in the law—would seek to outdo military courts in defeating justice,” he observed, lamenting the erosion of legal standards meant to protect citizens.
Rubongoya concluded with a somber note on the state of the nation: “Cry beloved country!”
His statement underscored the deep frustration within Uganda’s political and civil society circles, as legal victories on paper fail to translate into tangible justice for prisoners and victims of state overreach.