Just hours after the Supreme Court issued its ruling on military courts, Colonel Chris Magezi, the Military Assistant for Public Relations in the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) office, posted what he said was an official statement from the UPDF on his X account, openly defying the court’s decision.
Chris Magezi confirmed that Dr. Kizza Besigye would not be released, despite the Supreme Court ruling.
He also emphasized that the Military Court would continue to try Besigye, the former FDC presidential candidate, and that President Yoweri Museveni would have the final say on the matter.
“The General Court Martial will proceed to try anyone conspiring to murder the President, committing armed rebellion against Uganda, or engaging in terrorism against the people of Uganda. Under no circumstances will Col. Kizza Besigye be released until he faces the full extent of Martial Law. The final decision will be made by the Commander-in-Chief and Chairman of the High Command, General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,” he tweeted.

This statement directly contradicted the Supreme Court’s ruling, which found that military courts lack jurisdiction over civilians and ordered that all civilian cases be transferred to ordinary courts.
Magezi’s comments triggered widespread backlash, with many questioning whether the UPDF would respect the Supreme Court’s decision.
Among those reacting was Winnie Byanyima, Besigye’s wife and Executive Director of UNAIDS, who expressed her disbelief: “Is this real?”
As of now, the UPDF spokesperson has not issued an official response regarding the Supreme Court ruling, creating uncertainty about how the decision will be implemented.
The army spokesperson, Brigadier Felix Kulayigye, had not responded to requests for comment, and his deputy, Colonel Deo Akiiki, was reportedly out of the office.
Besigye remains detained at Luzira Prison and was scheduled to appear before the General Court Martial next Monday.

However, his legal team insists that, following the Supreme Court ruling, he cannot be tried by a military court and should be released immediately. They have demanded his release from Luzira.
With the UPDF standing firm, it remains unclear whether the authorities will respect the court’s ruling or if Besigye’s lawyers will need to take further legal action to secure his release.