By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
National Unity Platform (NUP) “foot soldiers” risk being tried in a military court martial for engaging in activities resembling military drills, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has warned.
This comes after videos surfaced showing NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu inspecting a parade of red-clad supporters saluting him-an act the army views as a dangerous imitation of military conduct.
UPDF spokesperson Ag. Major General Felix Kulayigye expressed concern over the display, stating that individuals imitating military behavior could face legal consequences.
“If a duck begins to fly like a bird, what is that called?” Kulaigye questioned, implying that civilians engaging in military-like activities could be disciplined under military law.
Kulayigye was responding to a question by journalists at the launching of the CDF Inter Forces Drill Competition 2025, at Lands Forces headquarters Bombo on Saturday. He warned that civilians involved in military-like activities might face arrest and prosecution in a military court if they continued mimicking the army.
It should be noted that a recent Supreme Court ruling on January 31st, barred the military from trying civilians in court martials. However, the UPDF insists that if the public doesn’t desist from mimicking the army, they might continue facing arrest and prosecution in a military court.
When asked about Besigye’s case, who remains in prison despite the court’s decision, Kulaigye distanced the UPDF from the matter, stating that the opposition leader’s fate now lies in the hands of his legal team.
“The Supreme Court has spoken. It is up to Besigye’s lawyers to pursue his release through the appropriate channels,” he said.
As political tensions continue to rise, the fate of NUP’s “foot soldiers” remains uncertain. Efforts to get a comment from NUP officials were futile by press time.
