Museveni hails Parliament for passing UPDF bill

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President Yoweri Museveni has congratulated members of Parliament for passing the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) Amendment Bill, 2025.

“I want to congratulate the Members of Parliament for passing the UPDF Amendment Bill. There was going to be a serious problem because some people were saying if a soldier does commit a crime such as killing a person, involving in theft or rapes a woman, they should be taken to the sub-county (civilian courts) instead of the court martial.

Those who were involved have to repent. There was going to be a serious collision between the army, Parliament, and the courts of law, but they have saved us the embarrassment,” President Museveni said.

The Presidential Press Unit reports that Museveni, who is in the greater Luwero on the performance assessment tour on the Parish Development Model (PDM) and other wealth creation programs, made the remarks earlier Wednesday, May 21, while addressing a leaders’ meeting at Timnah Nursery and Primary School in Mabaale village, Luwero district.

Parliament on May 20, 2025, passed the UPDF Amendment Bill, which expands military courts’ authority to try civilians under specific conditions, such as possession of military equipment or collaboration with military personnel in serious crimes like treason or murder.

“When we came from the bush, we decided that even the person who is not a soldier and decides to use a gun to perform a crime, we are going to charge them in the army courts,” the President emphasised, adding that it’s because of this strong resolve, and practising what he termed as clean politics since 1986 that Uganda has remained peaceful and now focused on wealth creation.

“We told you that among the main pillars of development is peace in the country, many countries around us are rich in minerals and oil, but they don’t have peace, and many of their people are here in Uganda as refugees. We now have 1,800,000 people as refugees here in Uganda,” he stated, according to the release.

He further emphasised that it’s only the National Resistance Movement (NRM) that is rooted in tenets of unity and national integration rather than sectarianism through the four principles of Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, social-economic transformation, and democracy.

President Museveni urged the populace to understand prioritisation in public administration by knowing what is crucial and immediate, adding that, whereas development is needed, wealth creation should come first, through commercial agriculture, services, ICT, and Manufacturing.

He also warned against land fragmentation, describing it as a hindrance to wealth creation, citing a case in Kisozi, Gomba district.

“I had my neighbour in Kisozi. He was a very rich man with four square miles and 500 cows. When he died, the children divided the property, some of them sold their share and that huge estate disappeared. This is very dangerous. If that happens to every generation, what will happen to the remaining families?” President Museveni wondered.

He added that the modern way is to divide and still use the land collectively and share profits. He gave an example of Hajjat Mariam Baiga's family in Ssekamuli, Bamunanika, which has succeeded in collective investment.

Museveni reminded the people about his proposal of the seven activities in the 1996 NRM Manifesto of intensive agriculture for those with 4 acres or less, and those with bigger land to practice extensive agriculture.

“I proposed one acre for coffee, another acre for fruits (mangoes, oranges, or pineapples), grass for livestock in the third acre, and the fourth acre for food crops (bananas, cassava, etc). In the backyard, you can put piggery or poultry. Those near the swamps can engage in fish farming. This was our message in the 1996 manifesto.  The few who have listened to us are doing well,” President Museveni said, adding that crops such as cocoa and palm oil can also yield well in one acre. Other items such as cotton, tea, sugar cane, and maize, he said, require larger pieces of land.

President Museveni said if the sh100m PDM support per parish is well managed, Ugandans will have their own Parish Banks worth 1.8 billion in 10 years but was quick to warn those mismanaging the funds by giving selectively to family members and friends.