Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday, December 12, explained why opposition leader Kizza Besigye was tried in a military court.
In a statement, Museveni argued that his party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) enacted laws in 2005 allowing for civilians to be tried in military courts due to the inefficiencies of civilian courts in handling cases involving gun violence quickly.
“I have seen the arguments in the papers by some lawyers regarding the correctness of some civilians being tried in the Court Martial.
I want to affirm that, that move was correct and useful, and it has contributed to the stabilization of Uganda,” read part of his statement.
Museveni explains why Besigye was taken to Military court
“It is the NRM that in the year 2005 enacted this law through Parliament.
This was because of the rampant activities of criminals and terrorists that were using guns to kill people indiscriminately,” Museveni explained.
He emphasized that military courts offer a quicker judicial process necessary for dealing with those armed with weapons.
Also Read: Besigye’s Wife Reveals Details of People Involved in His Abduction
The Uganda President further explained that these individuals, by possessing firearms, effectively made themselves “soldiers”, thus justifying their trial under military law.
“Since you became a ‘soldier,’ albeit an illegal one, be tried by a court-martial because it is the one that deals with guns,” he added.
His statement comes after Besigye’s trial in a military court stirred significant legal and public debate.
Critics argue that trying civilians in military courts undermines the justice system and violates the rights of the accused to a fair trial by an impartial tribunal, as stipulated by both national and international human rights standards.
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Besigye charged with illegal possession of firearms
Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, called for his immediate release, questioning the legality of his detention in a military jail since he is not a soldier.
Besigye was abducted in Nairobi during his visit where he was expected to attend NARC Kenya Party leader’s book launch.
It is reported unknown people believed to be police officers abducted him when he went to meet a friend in Riverside, Nairobi and was later taken to a military court in Uganda.
In the military court, the opposition leader was charged alongside his party colleague Hajj Obeid Lutale, with offenses related to security and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Government denies being involved in Besigye abduction
Kenyan government strongly denied any involvement in Besigye’s abduction.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei stated that Kenya was unaware of Besigye’s presence in the country and had no role in the incident.
Also Read: New Twist as Uganda Ropes Kenya in Arrest of Besigye, Contradicts Govt’s Statement
“The circumstances surrounding Kizza’s travel are not known to us because no information was shared with us prior to his trip.
“We did not know which hotel he was booked into or where he stayed, and therefore we were not in a position to provide him with any additional security,” Korir said.
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