President Yoweri Museveni has slammed the Supreme court ruling that declared unconstitutional the trial of civilians in army courts. Below is the president’s statement (verbatim) regarding the ruling.
Fellow Ugandans, especially the Bazzukulu.
Greetings. I have just come back from wonderful inspection trips for wealth creation in Busoga and Lango. It is wonderful to see our village people waking up and using the Sh. 1 million of PDM and the Emyooga money to join the money economy with ekibaro (cura, aimar, otita).
However, on getting back to Kampala, I was sorry to hear of the wrong decision by the Supreme Court in the matter of the fire-arms armed civilians being tried by the Military Court Martial. This is a method which we the freedom fighters support because it reinforces the Civilian Judicial System to defend the lives of our People against Criminals armed with guns.
If you are not a soldier, why do you arm yourself with guns and, moreover, for criminal purposes and illegally, that are a monopoly of the Armed Forces? If you voluntarily acquire these guns, why should you complain when you are tried in a forum that deals with those matters when soldiers are involved?
Nevertheless, according to the summary AG gave me on the phone, there appears to be some positive movement among our foreign-oriented judges even in this matter. First, Justices Chibita and Mugyenyi, sided with the logic that we the simple people understand and supported the guns armed criminals being tried in the Court Martial. Salutations to those two Judges.
Secondly, even the CJ ruled that the Court Martial could be used if adjustments are done here and there. I salute that contribution. Even the others who ruled against us, had some interesting comments that will be followed up that point towards the need for some rationalization in the procedure of trying civilians in the Military Courts. Somebody wondered why even a soldier should be tried in a Military Court for rape. We shall analyze all that.
However, one of the aims of the military courts is to protect the Army against crime and to ease procedures. How easy will it be to try soldiers who have stolen Army rations in civilian courts because stealing is an offence in the penal code? Why not try them in the military court with a right to appeal to the higher National Courts if you are not satisfied? The Military Courts, helped us to discipline Karamoja. We cannot and will not abandon this useful instrument for stability.
Civilian magistrates were even fearing to go to Karamoja. The Military Courts have pacified Karamoja and also saved the thousands of Karachunas (warrior youths) that are now guests of the State in the Prisons, who could, probably be dead by now in their confrontations with the Army.
Anyway, the country is not governed by the Judges. It is governed by the People all of us Ugandans, that are old enough to vote. In the matter of the Constitution and other legislations, we govern ourselves by having Referenda or Constitutional amendments in Parliament or amendments of the laws by the Judges interpret the laws: let, therefore, the Attorney-General propose the amendments to the constitution of the laws to help our Judges in future from interfering with this useful self-protection instrument for the Country and also remove any irrationalities if any.
If jurisdictions in the Western Countries can provide that a man can marry another man or a woman another woman, why can’t ours provide that a criminally minded civilian that acquires a gun for criminal intentions, be tried in a Military Court? Back to some of our Judges, the rape, corruption, etc., cases are tried in Military Courts to protect the institution of the Army. The guns armed illegal operators should be tried, initially, in Military Courts to protect the Society.
Signed:
Yoweri K. Museveni
President of Uganda
”If jurisdictions in the Western Countries can provide that a man can marry another man or a woman another woman, why can’t ours provide that a criminally minded civilian that acquires a gun for criminal intentions, be tried in a Military Court?”
Ensi, to M7, two wrongs make a right. Yes, a man shouldn’t and/or must not marry another man or a woman must not marry another woman. That’s completely wrong, however, how does it make it right to try civilians in a militant court? First of all, it’s not true that Besigye, Kyagulanyi or the NUP supporters, Olivia Luataya and others, and others who are missing, were found with guns and with criminal intentions. It’s crystal clear that all aforementioned political and activist figures are being politically persecuted! So, where is the relevance of comparing the wrong or acceptance of the Western countries for a man marring a man/woman marring a woman?
That clearly shows that M7 is hell bent on his autocracy of militant rule and making certain that there’s neither democracy nor rule of law but rule of militants/hardcore organized criminal who’re armed to teeth with the monoply of the guns!
Even if it is clear like day and night, that there’s neither democracy nor rule of law, Kyagulanyi tell us that there’s democracy and he is determined to show us that it works through bogus elections! Kyagulanyi is also hell bent on challenging M7 in bogus elections, which Kyagulanyi clearly knows he’ll never win but simply in it to make money!
For Hell and Heaven’s sake, Gen Tibuhaburwa should give Ugandans a break from claiming to be “Fellow Ugandans”! This is because a fellow Ugandan would not cause so much harm, bear false witness e.g. against Dr. Besigye and others; organize murder (massacres in Kasese [2016] and [Dec 2020]) and/or the number Ugandans he has caused to be killed in the last 43 year since his armed rebellion in Feb 1981.
And aren’t the Bazukuku he is addressing his nonsensical letters, the ones he is persecuting and prosecuting in the General Court Martial?
But unless he is a kind of a god, our 80-year-old “Problem of Africa” has committed all the crimes for which he wants civilians to be tried in the General Court Martial.
E.g., under what legitimate authority, law and/or constitution did he get or procure the 27 guns, which the NRA used to start armed (Criminal) rebellion (organized murder) in Luweero?
In other words, if caught he should have been tried in the GMC.
Although he retired from the UPDF, he keeps putting on the UPDF uniform and brandishing the AK47- as a civilian, shouldn’t he be impeached and court martialed for not respecting, protecting/defending the Constitution?
Ugandans must be reminded that all the so call “Freedom Fighters FIGHT Freedom” (military dictators).
M7, “This is a method which we the freedom fighters support because it reinforces the Civilian Judicial System to defend the lives of our People against Criminals armed with guns.” Does that mean that Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana USA, UK, Canada and other countries which do not try civilians in militant courts do not defend the lives of their people against criminals armed with guns? Furthermore, how could M7 claim to be a freedom fighter yet he, as a hardcore organized criminal armed with guns, captured our state by means of the gun and violence?
Fellow Ugandans, M7 is a full-blown hardcore organized criminal armed to teeth with guns, he is clinging on power by means of the guns and violence. After capturing our state, M7 has made Uganda his personal property and has made the guns which are protecting his property to be a monopoly of his militants.
Uganda is owned by full-blown hardcore organized criminals led by Gen. M7 as the head of state, then his son, Gen. Muhoozi M7 as the CDF of militants, and the militants who are not elected but appointed by M7 to protect his interests in parliament and the judiciary which is an extension of the executive.
M7, who appoints the supreme court judges, assured us that, “according to the summary AG gave me on the phone, there appears to be some positive movement among our foreign-oriented judges even in this matter. First, Justices Chibita and Mugyenyi, sided with the logic that we the simple people understand and supported the guns armed criminals being tried in the Court Martial. Salutations to those two Judges. Secondly, even the CJ ruled that the Court Martial could be used if adjustments are done here and there. I salute that contribution.”
M7 made if abundantly clear that they, militants, own Uganda by emphatically stating that, “We cannot and will not abandon this useful instrument [militant court] for stability.”
M7 own Uganda outright by the fact that all the 3 branches of govt are owned by M7. Here is conclusive evidence in this statement, “Anyway, the country is not governed by the Judges. It is governed by the People all of us Ugandans, that are old enough to vote. In the matter of the Constitution and other legislations, we govern ourselves by having Referenda or Constitutional amendments in Parliament or amendments of the laws by the Judges interpret the laws: let, therefore, the Attorney-General propose the amendments to the constitution of the laws to help our Judges in future from interfering with this useful self-protection instrument for the Country and also remove any irrationalities if any.”
There you have it. Based on that aforesaid statement by M7, a full-blown hardcore organized criminal, who is armed to the teeth, how will we ever change Uganda by means of bogus elections organized by M7?
Fellow Ugandans, we’re in a vicious cycle of endless pains of undemocratic and lack of rule of law because of poor leadership of the opposition such as Kyagulanyi/NUP who’re only interested in making money!
Indeed Temper tantrums are a normal part of childhood development. Every body has once or twice slammed things about and thrown anything all over the place when angry for not getting what one badly wants.
Well such slamming about things was done by many very ambitious politicians who could not get what they badly wanted despite all the state power they used to hold. For six years 1980/1986 the Acholi and other Northern tribes people, and many tribes people from the Western provinces of Uganda badly wanted to capture, arrest and even probably kill many of the guerilla leaders of the Luweero triangle without any success. The Ganda tribes people’s saying is still true that “Gakyali Mabaga.”