Museveni Hails Parliament for Passing UPDF Bill

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commended Parliament for passing the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Amendment Bill, 2025, warning that failure to do so would have created a major institutional conflict.

Speaking during a leaders’ meeting in Mabaale Village, Luwero District on May 21, 2025, the President expressed relief that the amended law, which expands the authority of military courts, had been approved.

“I want to congratulate Parliament. There was going to be a serious problem. Some people were suggesting that if a soldier commits crimes like murder or rape, they should be tried in civilian courts. This would have caused friction between the army, Parliament, and the judiciary,” he said.

The new law allows military courts to try civilians under special circumstances, such as unlawful possession of military gear or conspiring with military personnel to commit grave offences.

“We told you that among the main pillars of development is peace in the country because, as you hear, 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 noted.

Championing wealth creation

President Museveni made these remarks during a tour of Greater Luwero to assess the Parish Development Model (PDM) and other wealth creation programmes.

He reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability as the foundation for economic growth and noted Uganda’s role in hosting over 1.8 million refugees due to unrest in neighbouring countries.

Reiterating his long-standing advocacy for socio-economic transformation, Museveni warned against land fragmentation, urging families to preserve large estates through joint ownership. He praised collective investment examples like Hajjat Mariam Baiga’s family in Bamunanika, who have thrived by pooling land resources.

He also revisited the 1996 NRM Manifesto’s “four-acre model” for smallholder farmers: coffee, fruits, livestock pasture, and food crops, with backyard activities like poultry or piggery and swamp-based fish farming where applicable. He emphasised that crops like cocoa and palm oil can also thrive on smaller plots.

On the PDM, the President emphasised that if well implemented, each parish could evolve into a self-sustaining financial entity within a decade, cautioning against mismanagement and nepotism in fund allocation.

NRM leaders reflect on performance

NRM leaders used the platform to reflect on party performance. Secretary General Richard Todwong acknowledged a drop in support across Greater Luwero and urged local leaders to reconnect with the people. He thanked the President for donating UGX 300 million, awarded in a court case, to build a party office in Luwero.

Hon. Dennis Galabuzi Ssozi, National PDM Coordinator, revealed that UGX 62 billion had been distributed across 240 SACCOs in Greater Luwero, reaching over 65,000 households. He noted high participation among women (51%) but raised concerns about low youth engagement, urging targeted interventions.

Minister Haruna Kasolo warned SACCO leaders against fund mismanagement and emphasised loan recovery, while Presidential Advisor Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu lauded Museveni’s economic vision, dubbed “Musevenomics,” for elevating Uganda to middle-income status.

Hon. Evelyn Anite underscored that the ongoing countrywide tour was themed “Securing Your Future Through Wealth Creation,” reaffirming the President’s 1986 promise of fundamental change.

Hon. Judith Nabakooba addressed land ownership issues, urging leaders to use zonal offices and digital tools for transparency. The meeting was attended by ministers, MPs, and local NRM leaders.