Chairpersons of Court Martial, military prosecutors urged to uphold justice

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Chairpersons of the Court Martial and military prosecutors have been urged to uphold fairness, impartiality and justice in the administration of military law in order to strengthen discipline and professionalism within the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF).

The call was made by the Joint Staff Training and Doctrine, Brigadier General Wycliff Keita, while officiating at the opening of an eight-day Legal Services Induction Training at the Junior Staff College in Jinja on Monday (February).

“Those entrusted with administering military justice must at all times remain fair, impartial and just. Your decisions should be guided by the evidence before court, and the law, not personal interest or external influence,” Brig. Gen. Keita said.

Brig. Gen. Keita described the training as timely, noting that it followed a Supreme Court decision that set new standards for Uganda’s military court system. He said the role of prosecutors and court chairpersons was critical in safeguarding the credibility of military justice and maintaining public confidence in the UPDF.

“The military justice system exists to maintain discipline and order in the UPDF and to ensure our soldiers remain law-abiding,” he added.

He urged participants to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the training in the execution of their day-to-day duties.

The commandant of the Legal Training Centre, Colonel Susan Mwanga, said the induction training was designed to refresh participants on legal procedures followed in the administration of justice within military courts.

“This course is intended to remind you of the correct legal processes and to strengthen your capacity to dispense justice professionally,” Col Mwanga said.

The training was attended by the Joint Staff Legal Services, Brig. Gen. Moses Wandera, senior and junior officers of the Junior Staff College, as well as chairpersons and military prosecutors of the Court Martial.

General Court Martial members appointed

On November 25, 2025, President Yoweri Museveni, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the UPDF, appointed Brig. Gen. Richard Tukachungurwa as the new chairman of the General Court Martial (GCM). He replaced Brig. Gen. Robert Freeman Mugabe.

Prior to his appointment, Tukachungurwa served as the GCM judge advocate.

In a letter addressed to Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the UPDF Chief of Defence Forces, Museveni stated, “In accordance with Section 192, 193 and 195 of the UPDF Act as amended and acting on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, I have appointed persons below as head and members of the GCM and chairpersons of divisions and unit court martials.”

Members of the GCM include Col Simon Tusah Wankandya, Col Patra Asha, Col Fredrick Kangwamu, Col Raphael Mugisha, Lt Col Mohammedie Nasser Igambi, Maj. Samuel Moses Amodoi, Maj Emmanuel Arihaihi, Maj. Abubaker Nyombi and Maj. Denis Chemutai.

The new chairpersons of the division court martials include Lt Col David Drani Epalu for the Fourth Division and Lt Col Yaqoub Hassan Mulyanti for the Special Forces Group. All the appointees are lawyers.

Supreme Court ruling

In January 2025, the Supreme Court of Uganda ruled that the GCM and other military courts lack jurisdiction to try civilians.

The ruling halted ongoing military trials involving civilians and transferred such cases to civilian courts, although it did not invalidate previous convictions.

Human rights organisations described the ruling as a major victory for fair trial rights.

The government subsequently drafted amendments to the UPDF Act to potentially allow military trials of civilians under specific circumstances. The move attracted criticism, but the Bill was later passed into law and assented to by the President.