By TV10 Investigative Desk
President Yoweri Museveni’s recent criticism of the Supreme Court’s decision to cripple his Court Martial arrangement has raised eyebrows. The Court’s ruling stated that Ugandan civilians should not be tried by army courts, as these courts are better suited for disciplinary hearings targeting soldiers, rather than criminal trials. This decision was made in accordance with Articles 28(1) and 44(c) of the 1995 Constitution.
Museveni, who received a brief on the judgment’s implications from Attorney General Kiwanuka Kiryowa, took to Twitter to express his discontent. He emphasized that Uganda is governed by its people, not judges, and accused some judges of being influenced by foreign ideas that obscure their understanding of the Ugandan reality.
The President’s remarks seemed to intimidate some government officials, who had initially praised the Supreme Court for bringing clarity to the issue.
Since then, Museveni has skipped two major judiciary events, including the New Year Law Day event at the High Court in Kampala, where he was supposed to preside.
In a surprising move, Museveni recently promoted Florence Nakacwa, the wife of Chief Justice Alfonse Owinyi-Dollo, to the position of Court of Appeal judge.
Nakacwa, a highly qualified individual with 15 years of experience on the bench, had been serving as a High Court judge and lecturing at the Law Development Center (LDC).
Nakacwa’s appointment has sparked interest, given Museveni’s apparent anger towards Chief Justice Dollo over the Court Martial ruling. Her nomination, along with six others, will be vetted by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday.
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