How disagreements on venue almost failed UPDF Bill

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The Uganda People's Defence Forces (Amendment) Bill, 2025, may have sailed through Parliament without a fight. But the journey to its passage was anything but smooth.

However, for those who may not be aware, the process was fraught with confusion.

On Friday, May 16, lawmakers on the two committees scrutinising the Bill received a message summoning them to a retreat to draft a report that would guide debate the following Tuesday.

“Good Honourable Members. This is to inform you that the Joint Committee will hold a residential retreat for the consideration of the UPDF(Amendment) Bill, 2025 from Saturday, 17th May to Monday, 19th May 2025 at Mya Resort Hotel,” read a message posted on the MPs' WhatsApp platform.”

“Check-in is scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, 17th May 2025. Transport will be provided, and departure is at 3:00pm from the South Wing parking. You are kindly requested to attend and participate in this retreat,” it added.

Suspicion

Many of MPs we spoke to at the time viewed the timing as suspicious, especially considering that a meeting with Attorney General (AG) Kiryowa Kiwanuka and Brig. Gen. Moses Wandera, the Joint Staff for Legal Affairs, had ended inconclusively.

That meeting, intended to harmonise positions on a clause-by-clause basis, had been adjourned sine die without agreement on several contentious issues, including Clause 117A. A provision that proposed military courts to detain civilians under "exceptional circumstances" such as aggravated murder, cattle rustling, and possession of military stores.

Compounding the confusion was the fact that the committees had so far only engaged with a limited set of stakeholders, including constitutional lawyer Jude Byamukama, officials from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and representatives from the defence ministry, led by minister Jacob Marksons Oboth Oboth.

The National Unity Platform (NUP), which had been invited on short notice previously, had requested to appear on Monday of this week.

Indeed, the chairperson of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Stephen Bakka Mugabi (Bukooli North, NRM), alluded to this plan.

“The speed has since been reduced because our original plan was to have this Bill presented today. But now we have up to next week, so the speed has since been checked. So, for today, we will receive the DPP and any other stakeholders who will show interest after the appearance of the DPP. If there is no stakeholder, we will then proceed to do clause by clause of the bill of all the other non-contentious clauses,” Mugabi told the committee earlier that day.

“At 2:00pm, I invited the Attorney General (Kiryowa Kiwanuka) and to come, such that we can now start working on the contentious clause and see if we can interact with them on the clauses. If we can be able to agree with them today, then we can write a report and have it ready probably by Monday,” he added.

Online riot

However, within hours, after the two committees broke off for the weekend, everything changed. The moment, they learned that they were headed for a retreat at the hotel of National Resistance Movement (NRM) vice-chairperson Al-Hajj Moses Kigongo.

This, according to screenshots of a WhatsApp exchange we have since reviewed.

“Since when did we start using common transport for retreats, and why Moses Kigongo's Resort of all places? I'm not a prophet of doom, though!!! But Hon chair, why not send us the report and we simply sign it up since it is obvious it is fait accompli?” Erute South MP Jonathan Odur (UPC) stated.

Another concerned lawmaker expressed concern, “we are sceptical because of the nature of the matter unusual place may cause suspicion to Ugandans since he has even matters in court of a daughter we may look ugly, an independent venue must be highly recommended and there many state officials who reside on that hill it could be planned deal to seal the place and we end up learning Runyankole. And an area MP, who's well-versed with the place, can guide.”

Change in venue

After a tug of war, Mugabi eventually saw reason and assured members they would be informed of any venue change.

“Matter sorted. Clerk will communicate alternative venue around Kampala or Entebbe by 10:00am tomorrow,” Bakka said.

Indeed, the next day, MPs' phones buzzed with a message directing them to a hotel on the shores of Lake Victoria in Kampala.

“Good morning Honourable Members, please note that the venue for the upcoming residential retreat on consideration of UPDF (Amendment) Bill, 2025, has been changed from Maya Resort Hotel to Munyonyo Resort Hotel,” the message intimated.

Adding that “Check-in: Today, Saturday, 17th May 2025, starting at 3:00pm. Check-out: Monday, 19th May 2025. We apologise for any inconvenience this change may have caused you.”

In doing so, they assumed everyone would be convinced to attend. However, some MPs, including Jonathan Odur, who was in the middle of drafting a minority report, chose to stay away. Fearing that Odur’s report might be dismissed on technical grounds, his colleagues decided to write their own, albeit under difficult and painful circumstances.

NRM caucus

Then came the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Parliamentary Caucus meeting with President Yoweri Museveni on Monday this week, which shifted the dynamics.

“We went to Speke Resort Munyonyo on Saturday. On Sunday, we started deliberating on the report. On Monday, when we were almost done with a quarter of the report, early in the morning by 9:00, NRM Members of Parliament were all summoned to the State House. The chairperson informed us that when they come back, we shall finalise on the report,” Kilak South Gilbert Olanya (FDC) explained.

“So, all the Opposition stayed back. We waited for these guys. At 6:00pm, we called them, the chairman said they were on their way coming. At 9:00pm they were nowhere to be seen. I am telling you these guys abandoned the opposition at a hotel in Munyonyo and from there, having realised that these guys were not coming back for us we started looking at the Bill (UPDF) which was tabled on the floor of parliament by the minister and started writing our minority report,” he retorted.

Olanya added that “I am happy that even other members from NRM signed on it. In total, we had 14 people who signed, and others are from NRM. In reality, we should have called ours a majority report, because they did not discuss or deliberate, all chairpersons disappeared. Both the chairpersons of legal and defence went to the State House, never to come back. So, we don’t know where they got the report from. That’s why yesterday I was very surprised.”