Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Act

Chapter 330

Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Act

This is the latest version of this Act.

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Chapter 330

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Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Act

Chapter 330

Published in Uganda Gazette 56 on 2 September 2005
Assented to on 23 August 2005
Commenced on 2 September 2005
[This is the version of this document from 27 June 2025.]
[Note: This legislation was revised and consolidated as at 31 December 2000 and 31 December 2023 by the Law Reform Commission of Uganda. All subsequent amendments have been researched and applied by Laws.Africa for ULII.]

[Amended by Law Revision (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, 2023 (Act 17 of 2023) on 28 July 2023]
[Amended by Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 8 of 2025) on 27 June 2025]

An Act to provide for the regulation of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces in accordance with Article 210 of the Constitution, and for related matters.[Revisers’note: Sections 118(1), 119(1), 120(1), 121(1), 125,127(d), 128(1), 130(1), 131(1), 132(1), 135(1), 144(l)(d), 148, 149, 150, and 151 impose a sentence of death. However, section 6(7) of the Law Revision (Penalties in Criminal Matters) Miscellaneous (Amendment) Act provides that a sentence of death imposed by any court or tribunal established under the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Act shall only be carried out after it has been confirmed by the Supreme Court and upon an order of the President.][Act 7/2005; Act 17/2023]

Part I – Interpretation

1. Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—"active service" means service—(a)in operation against an enemy or in a foreign country, in operations for the protection of life or property, or relating to the military occupation of a foreign country;(b)in operations for the preservation of order;(c)for purposes of relief in case of emergency;(d)in aid to the civil power; and(e)for any other purpose that appears to the Defence Forces Council to be expedient;"advocate" means an advocate admitted and enrolled under the Advocates Act;"aircraft" includes any machine for flying whether propelled by mechanical means or not, and any description of balloons;"aircraft material" includes—(a)parts or components of, or accessories for, aircraft, whether for the time being in aircraft or not;(b)engines, armament, ammunition and bombs and other missiles of any description in or for use in aircraft;(c)any other gear, apparatus or instruments in or for use in aircraft;(d)any apparatus used in connection with the taking off, landing, or detecting the movements of, aircraft; and(e)any fuel used for the propulsion of aircraft and any material used as a lubricant for aircraft material;"appellate court" means the Court Martial Appeal Court or, as the case may be, the General Court Martial;"appropriate civil authority", means the President, a minister, the Inspector General of Police, a Resident District Commissioner, or a district police commander;"attachment" means—(a)the assignment of an officer or militant for continuous duty or training outside the Service, formation or unit in which he or she is ordinarily deployed or employed to another Service, formation or unit within the Defence Forces; or(b)the temporary assignment of an officer or a militant to a component, sub-component, formation, station or unit other than that in which an officer or militant is ordinarily deployed and in which he or she continues to fill a position of a person within the service;[definition of "attachment" inserted by section 1(a) of Act 8 of 2025]"auxiliary forces" means home guards, local defence forces and vigilantes;"Board" means, in the case of an officer, the Commissions and Promotions Board established by section 19 and, in the case of a militant, the Unit Promotions Board established by section 20;[definition of "Board" substituted by section 1(b) of Act 8 of 2025]"civil custody" includes the holding under arrest or under confinement of a person by the police or other competent civil authority and confinement in a civil prison;"civil court" means a court of ordinary criminal jurisdiction in Uganda;"civil power" means the Government and includes a local government;"commanding officer" in respect of a person, means the commanding officer or officer commanding of that person or such other officer as is, by this Act or regulations made under this Act, empowered to act as the commanding officer or officer commanding of that person;"consolidated salary" means basic pay and includes professional pay, qualification pay or trades pay, whichever is applicable;[definition of "consolidated salary" inserted by section 1(c) of Act 8 of 2025]"cooperating forces" means the defence forces of any country other than Uganda, declared to be cooperating forces under section 45;"courts martial" means a Unit Court Martial, a Division Court Martial and the General Court Martial;[definition of "courts martial" substituted by section 1(d) of Act 8 of 2025]"currency point" has the value assigned to it in Schedule 1 to this Act;"defence establishment" means any establishment designated by the Defence Forces Council or any person authorised for that purpose by the Defence Forces Council to be a defence establishment, and includes any property in the defence establishment;"Defence Forces" means the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces;"Defence Forces Council" means the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Council provided for in section 13;"deploying authority" means the chairperson of the High Command or any officer designated as deploying authority; and without prejudice to the foregoing, means, in respect of section 196, the division commander;"emergency" includes war emergency and public emergency;"enemy" means all persons engaged in operations against the Defence Forces; and includes armed mutineers, rebels, armed rioters and pirates;"enrol" means to cause any person to become a member of the Defence Forces, and includes re-engagement;"formation" means a brigade, division or higher organisational structure of units of the Defence Forces;"full pension" means a regular payment made by the Defence Forces to an officer or militant upon completing the time period for which a fraction of pension was cumulated and advanced as a lump sum at the time of retirement;[definition of "full pension" inserted by section 1(e) of Act 8 of 2025]"junior officer" means any body from the rank of second lieutenant to captain;"lawful order" includes any order or instruction given by a competent authority to a member of the Defence Forces;"liquor" means any spirits (including refined spirits), wine, ale, beer, porter, cider, perry, hop beer or any drink containing more than two percent by weight of absolute alcohol, but does not include native liquor;"material" means all movable public property, other than money, provided for the Defence Forces or for any other purpose under this Act, and includes any vessel, vehicle, aircraft, animal, missile, arms, ammunition, clothing, stores, provisions or equipment so provided;"military court" means the courts martial;[definition of "military court" substituted by section 1(f) of Act 8 of 2025]"military law" in the expression "subject to military law" means Parts V to XIV of this Act;“military veteran” means any Ugandan who—(a)has been recruited into, allotted a service number and rendered military service to any of the successive Governments of Uganda;(b)has completed his or her military service and no longer performs active military duties;(c)has been honourably discharged or retired from the military service of the Republic of Uganda; and(d)is liable for call-up as a statutory reservist under the Act or not;[definition of “military veteran” inserted by section 1(g) of Act 8 of 2025]"militant" means any person other than an officer who is enrolled in or who is attached or seconded otherwise than as an officer to the Defence Forces;"Minister" means the Minister responsible for defence and veteran affairs;[definition of "Minister" substituted by section 1(h) of Act 8 of 2025]“Ministers of State” mean the other Ministers appointed by the President under Article 114 of the Constitution to assist the Minister;[definition of “Ministers of State” inserted by section 1(i) of Act 8 of 2025]"Ministry" means the Ministry responsible for defence and veteran affairs;[definition of "Ministry" substituted by section 1(j) of Act 8 of 2025]"officer" means—(a)a person commissioned by the President to the Defence Forces; and(b)any person who is attached or seconded as an officer to the Defence Forces;"original member of High Command" means a member of the former National Resistance Army, who was a member of the High Command on the 26th January, 1986;"peace enforcement" means the deployment of troops under Chapter 7 of the Charter of the United Nations;"peace keeping" means the deployment of troops under Chapter 6 of the Charter of the United Nations;"pensions authority" means the Permanent Secretary;[definition of "pensions authority" substituted by section 1(k) of Act 8 of 2025]"pensionable emoluments" means the rate of salary in issue to an officer or a militant at the time of retirement or discharge; or to an officer or a militant of equivalent rank to the retired or discharged officer or militant at the time of his or her retirement or discharge;"Permanent Secretary" means the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry responsible for defence and veteran affairs;[definition of "Permanent Secretary" substituted by section 1(l) of Act 8 of 2025]"possession" by any person means—(a)having in his or her own personal possession;(b)knowingly having in the actual possession or custody of any other person; or(c)knowingly having in any place, whether belonging to or occupied by himself or herself or not, for the use or benefit of himself or herself or any other person;"prescribed force" means any service prescribed by Parliament under section 2(4)(c);"public officer" and "public service" have the same meaning as in the Constitution;“qualifying service” means service which may be taken into account in determining whether an officer or a militant is eligible, by length of service, for pension or gratuity;[definition of “qualifying service” inserted by section 1(m) of Act 8 of 2025]"release" means, except for the purposes of section 87, the termination of the service of an officer or a militant in any manner;"reckonable service" means continuous full pay service in the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces; and includes, any prior full pay service in any other Defence Forces of Uganda by whatever name called or in any other forces recognised by the Defence Forces Council in respect of which a pension is not in issue or for which a gratuity has not been granted, subject to such exclusions as may be prescribed;“Reserve Force” means the component of the Defence Forces consisting of persons engaged in accordance with section 5 who are not in full time active service and who may be called upon during an emergency to reinforce the regular force;[definition of “Reserve Force” inserted by section 1(n) of Act 8 of 2025]"reservist" means a member of the reserve forces;“secondment” means the temporary deployment of an officer or a militant to a department or agency of the Government, a public or private institution, private industry or other body outside the Defence Forces;[definition of “secondment” inserted by section 1(o) of Act 8 of 2025]"senior army officer" means an officer of the then National Resistance Army who held the substantive rank of senior officer on 26th January, 1986;"senior officer" means a person of the rank of Major or above as per the highest rank offered in the establishment at the time;"service" means service in the Defence Forces;"Service" means a component part of the Defence Forces specified in section 2(4);"Service Chief of Staff" means a Service Chief of Staff specified in section 7(2)(f) or (g);"Service Commander" means a service commander specified in section 7(2)(c), (d) or (h);"service custody" means the holding under arrest or in confinement of a person by the Defence Forces, and includes confinement in a service prison or detention barracks;"service detainee" means a person who is under a sentence that includes a punishment of detention imposed upon him or her under this Act;"service offence" means an offence under this Act and includes the offence of murder, aggravated robbery, kidnap with intent to murder, treason, misprision of treason or cattle rustling as provided for under the Penal Code Act, committed by a person subject to military law;[definition of "service offence" substituted by section 1(p) of Act 8 of 2025]"service prisoner" means a person who is under a sentence that includes a punishment of imprisonment imposed upon him or her under this Act;"stoppages" means the recovery, by deductions from the pay of an offender, of a specified sum of money by way of compensation for any expense, loss or damage occasioned by the offence;"summary trial" means an informal trial of a minor offence conducted by a summary trial authority under section 203 by which the accused has duly opted to be tried;"summary trial authority" means a commanding officer or an officer commanding in exercise of his or her powers of summary trial under section 189 or a superior authority;"superior authority" means, except for the purpose of section 251, the Chief of Defence Forces, Service Commanders, the Chief of Staff, or Service Chiefs of Staff in exercise of the powers of summary trial under section 189;"superior officer" means any officer or militant who, in relation to any other officer or militant is, by this Act or by regulations made under this Act or by custom of the Defence Forces, authorised to give a lawful order to that other officer or militant;"unit" means a unit of battalion strength or any other unit as declared by the Defence Forces Council;"war materials" includes arms, ammunition, parts of arms, explosives and other materials ordinarily reserved for the Defence Forces and shall include such other materials that are so declared by the Defence Forces Council.

Part II – Composition, organs and structures of Defence Forces

Composition

2. Composition of Defence Forces

(1)There shall be armed forces to be known as the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces.

(2)The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces shall be non-partisan, national in character, patriotic, professional, disciplined, productive and subordinate to civilian authority.

(3)Members of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces shall be citizens of Uganda and of good character.

(4)The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces shall be composed of the following Services—

(a)the Land Force;

(b)the Air Force;

(c)the Special Force Command;

(d)the Reserve Force; and

(e)any other Service prescribed by the Defence Council with the approval of Parliament.

[subsection (4) substituted by section 2 of Act 8 of 2025]

(5)The President in the Defence Forces Council shall determine the strength of the Defence Forces.

3. Establishment and composition of Services

(1)Each of the Services of the Defence Forces shall consist of—

(a)the regular forces; and

(b)the reserve forces.

(2)Each regular force, reserve force or any prescribed force shall consist of such units and shall be under the immediate supervision and control of such officers as may be prescribed by the Defence Forces Council.

4. Composition of regular forces

Each regular force shall consist of—

(a)officers commissioned by the President;

(b)militants enrolled in accordance with regulations made under this Act for the purpose of rendering continuous service during the period of their engagement; and

(c)such other officers and militants as are attached to the regular force under arrangements made by the Government.

5. Sources and organisation of reserve forces

(1)The sources of the reserve forces shall include—

(a)personnel seconded from the regular forces;

(b)retired officers and discharged militants;

(c)auxiliary forces, state security organisations and such other citizens of Uganda as have undergone military training under Article 17(2) of the Constitution.

(2)Membership of the reserve forces shall be restricted on the basis of the following criteria—

(a)human resource requirement determined by threat analysis and other security considerations;

(b)age;

(c)health, especially physical as well as mental fitness; and

(d)any other factors as may be determined by the High Command and the Defence Forces Council.

(3)Notwithstanding subsection (2), whenever the need arises, any retired officer or discharged militant or any member of the auxiliary forces who has not been absorbed into the reserve forces may be called upon for service in the reserve forces.

(3a)Members of the auxiliary forces absorbed or called upon for service in the Reserve Force may be absorbed into the regular forces.[subsection (3a) inserted by section 3(a) of Act 8 of 2025]

(4)The Minister may make regulations under this section, prescribing the terms and conditions of service of the Reserve Force.[subsection (4) substituted by section 3(b) of Act 8 of 2025]

Command, appointments, etc.

6. Functions of Defence Forces

The functions of the Defence Forces are—

(a)to preserve and defend the sovereignty and interior integrity of Uganda;

(b)to cooperate with civilian authority in emergency situations in cases of natural disasters;

(c)to foster harmony and understanding between the Defence Forces and civilians; and

(d)to engage in productive activities for the development of Uganda.

7. Commander-in-Chief of Defence Forces, etc.

(1)As provided in Article 98(1) of the Constitution, the President shall be the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces.

(2)The Commander-in-Chief may appoint—

(a)an officer of the Defence Forces to be known as the Chief of Defence Forces to be head of the Defence Forces, who shall be responsible for the command, control coordination and administration of the Defence Forces;[paragraph (a) amended by section 4(a) of Act 8 of 2025]

(b)an officer of the Defence Forces to be known as the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces and Inspector General of the Defence Forces;[paragraph (b) substituted by section 4(b) of Act 8 of 2025]

(c)an officer of the Defence Forces to be known as the Commander Land Forces, who shall be responsible for the command, control coordination and administration of the land forces;[paragraph (c) amended by section 4(c) of Act 8 of 2025]

(d)an officer of the Defence Forces to be known as the Commander Air Forces, who shall be responsible for the command, control coordination and administration of the air forces;[paragraph (d) amended by section 4(d) of Act 8 of 2025]

(da)an officer of the Defence Forces to be known as the Commander Special Force Command, who shall be responsible for the command, control, coordination and administration of the Special Force Command; and[paragraph (da) inserted by section 4(e) of Act 8 of 2025]

(db)an officer of the Defence Forces to be known as the Commander Reserve Force, who shall be responsible for the command, control, coordination and administration of the Reserve Force;[paragraph (db) inserted by section 4(e) of Act 8 of 2025]

(e)an officer of the Defence Forces to be known as the Chief of Joint Staff, who shall be responsible for the coordination and administration of the Defence Forces;[paragraph (e) substituted by section 4(f) of Act 8 of 2025]

(f)an officer of the Defence Forces to be known as Land Forces Chief of Staff, who shall be responsible for the coordination and administration of the land forces;[paragraph (f) amended by section 4(g) of Act 8 of 2025]

(g)an officer of the Defence Forces to be known as Air Forces Chief of Staff, who shall be responsible for the coordination and administration of the air forces;[paragraph (g) amended by section 4(h) of Act 8 of 2025]

(h)such other officer of the Defence Forces under such title as the Commander-in-Chief may deem fit to be the commander of any Service of the Defence Forces prescribed under section 2(4)(c), who shall be responsible for the command, control and administration of that Service and shall be responsible to the Chief of Defence Forces;

(i)officers of the Defence Forces to command units and formations of the Services, who shall be responsible for the command, control and administration of the units;

(j)officers of the Defence Forces to head Directorates of the Services, who shall be responsible to the relevant Service Chief of Staff for the management of the Directorates;[paragraph (j) substituted by section 4(i) of Act 8 of 2025]

(ja)officers of the Defence Forces at the Joint Services Headquarters, to head strategic institutions;[paragraph (ja) inserted by section 4(j) of Act 8 of 2025]

(jb)officers of the Defence Forces to head Joint Staff branches at the Joint Services Headquarters, who shall be responsible to the Chief of Joint Staff for policy and strategic planning for their respective staff branches; and[paragraph (jb) inserted by section 4(j) of Act 8 of 2025]

(jc)officers of the Defence Forces at the Joint Services Headquarters, to head Directorates;[paragraph (jc) inserted by section 4(j) of Act 8 of 2025]

(k)such advisers and assistants or any other officer in the office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces as he or she deems necessary to assist him or her in the exercise of the duties of that office.

8. Powers of command

The authority and powers of command of the officers and militants of the Defence Forces shall be as prescribed in regulations made under this Act.

9. Powers of command of officers of cooperating and other forces

(1)Where—

(a)under section 45, the President declares that any force is a force acting in cooperation with the Defence Forces or any part of the Defence Forces; or

(b)under section 46, any member of a force to which that section applies is attached or seconded to the Defence Forces,

a member of such cooperating force or, as the case may be, the person so attached or seconded, shall be treated, and shall have the like powers of command and, in the case provided for in paragraph (b) of this subsection, of discipline over members of the Defence Forces as if he or she were a member of the Defence Forces of equivalent rank.

(2)The regulations made under this Act may provide that a member of the military, naval or marine or air forces of any other country who is acting in association with the Defence Forces shall be accorded courtesy precedence consonant with his or her rank and, in any case where it is considered necessary or expedient for furthering such association, such authority and powers of command as may be specified in the regulations.

10. Appointments

(1)The Command appointments of formations, units and other elements of the Defence Forces which, by the establishment of the Defence Forces, are commanded or headed by officers of the established rank for the appointment of battalion commander or above shall be made by the Commander-in-Chief in consultation with the Chief of Defence Forces.

(2)The Command appointments of units and other elements of the Defence Forces which, by the establishment of the Defence Forces, are commanded or headed by officers below the established rank for the appointment of battalion commander shall be made by the Chief of Defence Forces.

(3)The appointment of militants to hold appointments in the Defence Forces shall be by the unit commander or head of department, as the case may be, in consultation with the Joint Staff, Human Resource Management of the Defence Forces.[subsection (3) amended by section 5 of Act 8 of 2025]

(4)The considerations set out in section 54(1) shall, as far as possible, apply when considering an officer or a militant for an appointment.

11. Location of units and formations

(1)The permanent locations of units and formations of the Defence Forces within Uganda shall be determined by the Commander-in-Chief in consultation with the High Command.

(2)The Chief of Defence Forces may, when he or she considers it necessary so to do by reason of training requirements or operational necessity, exercise the powers conferred upon the Commander-in-Chief by subsection (1) and shall notify the Minister of any action taken in that regard; except that the Chief of Defence Forces shall not authorise the permanent re-allocation of any unit or detachment.

12. Authorised ranks, trades

(1)The various ranks for officers and militants of the Defence Forces and seniority within those ranks shall be in accordance with regulations made under this Act.

(2)The Defence Forces Council may determine the maximum number of persons in each rank and trade group in the Defence Forces.

Organs and structures of Defence Forces

13. Defence Forces Council

(1)There shall be established, for the purposes of this Act, a Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Council consisting of—

(a)the members of the High Command;

(b)the persons who were senior army officers on the 26th day of January 1986, whose names are set out in Schedule 2 to this Act;

(c)all directors of Services and Commandants of training institutions established under this Act; and[paragraph (c) amended by section 6(a)(i) of Act 8 of 2025]

(d)commanding officers of brigades and battalions and officers commanding equivalent units of the Defence Forces.

(e)the Defence Forces Sergeant Major; and[paragraph (e) added by section 6(a)(ii) of Act 8 of 2025]

(f)all Regional Reserve Force Commanders under the Reserve Force.[paragraph (f) added by section 6(a)(ii) of Act 8 of 2025]

(1a)The Commander-in-Chief may co-opt any person to attend a meeting of the Defence Forces Council for purposes of assisting the Council on a particular matter, except that the co-opted person shall not vote on any matter.[subsection (1a) inserted by section 6(b) of Act 8 of 2025]

(2)The Chairperson of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Council shall be the President, and in the absence of the President, the Vice President, and in the absence of the Vice President, the Minister and in the absence of the Minister, such other person as the President may appoint.

(3)The Defence Forces Council shall—

(a)advise the President on all matters connected with the control and administration of the Defence Forces;

(b)be responsible for giving professional advice on military defence policy generally; and

(c)perform such duties as may be conferred upon it by law.

14. High Command

(1)There is established under this Act, the High Command of the Defence Forces consisting of—

(a)the President, who shall be the chairperson;

(b)the Minister;

(c)the Ministers of State;

(d)the Permanent Secretary;

(e)members of the High Command on 26th January, 1986 whose names are set out in Schedule 3 to this Act, provided that the member has not been convicted of any criminal offence or changed citizenship or has not joined active partisan politics;

(f)the Chief of Defence Forces;

(g)the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces and Inspector General of Defence Forces;

(h)all Service Commanders;

(i)all Deputy Service Commanders;

(j)the Chief of Joint Staff;

(k)all Service Chiefs of Staff;

(l)all Joint Staff of the respective Joint Staff branches at the Defence Forces Joint Services Headquarters;

(m)all Commanders of any formations higher than a Division that the President may, in consultation with the High Command, establish;

(n)all Division, Wing or Group Commanders, officers commanding equivalent units of the Defence Forces and the Commander Joint Headquarters Brigade Group;

(o)such Commanders of the military wing of the liberation organisations specified in section 81 (3) as may from time to time be co-opted by the President;

(p)the Heads of military corporations under the Ministry;

(q)the Commandant of the National Defence College and the Commandant of the Senior Command and Staff College;

(r)the Commanders of the Marine Brigade, Civil Engineering Brigade, Military Police Brigade, Combat Engineers Brigade and Army Aviation;

(s)Commanders of strategic institutions and strategic training institutions at the Defence Forces Joint Services Headquarters;

(t)all Directors at the Defence Forces Joint Services Headquarters; and

(u)such other Commanders and experts as may be co-opted by the President to advise the High Command.

[subsection (1) substituted by section 7 of Act 8 of 2025]

(2)The High Command shall—

(a)advise the President in emergency situations and on matters relating to national security or deployment of the Defence Forces;

(b)advise the President when Uganda is at war;

(c)perform such duties as may be conferred upon the High Command by law; and

(d)perform such other functions as the President may direct.

15. Meetings of Defence Forces Council and High Command

The meetings of the Defence Forces Council and the High Command shall be regular in each year, but shall not be less than three in every calendar year.

16. Attendance of meetings

A senior army officer or an original member of the High Command, shall not be entitled to sit or take part in the proceedings of the Defence Forces Council or the High Command if—

(a)he or she has been convicted of any offence; or

(b)there is a criminal case pending against him or her in a court of law, other than a traffic offence.

16A. Joint Military Command

(1)There is established the Joint Military Command consisting of—

(a)the Chief of Defence Forces, who shall be the chairperson;

(b)the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces and Inspector General of the Defence Forces;

(c)all Service Commanders;

(d)the Chief of Joint Staff;

(e)the Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security;

(f)the Joint Staff, Operations;

(g)the Joint Staff, Logistics;

(h)the Joint Staff, Policy and Strategy; and

(i)the Joint Staff, Political Commissar.

(2)The functions of the Joint Military Command are—

(a)to advise the Commander-in-Chief on all matters pertaining to war effort;

(b)to provide command, control and direction of war effort;

(c)to approve all military plans and estimates for the conduct of war;

(d)to approve all support plans for war effort;

(e)to propose the appointment of the Joint Task force Command and the Component Commanders;

(f)to apprise the progress of the war effort to the national strategic leadership of National Security Council and to provide updates to the National Security Council; and

(g)to perform any other function as may be deemed necessary by the Commander-in-Chief.

[section 16A inserted by section 8 of Act 8 of 2025]

17. Command and Staff Meeting

(1)There is established under this Act the Command and Staff Committee of the Defence Forces.[subsection (1) amended by section 9(a) of Act 8 of 2025]

(2)The Command and Staff Meeting shall consist of—

(a)the Chief of Defence Forces, who shall be the chairperson;

(b)the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces and Inspector General of Defence Forces;[paragraph (b) substituted by section 9(b)(i) of Act 8 of 2025]

(c)all Service Commanders;

(d)the Chief of Joint Staff;[paragraph (d) substituted by section 9(b)(ii) of Act 8 of 2025]

(e)all Service Chiefs of Staff;

(f)all Joint Staff of Departments of the respective Joint Staff branches at the Defence Forces Joint Services Headquarters;[paragraph (f) substituted by section 9(b)(iii) of Act 8 of 2025]

(g)all commanders of any formations higher than a division that the President may, in consultation with the High Command, establish;

(h)all division commanders and the commandant of the general headquarters of the Defence Forces;

(i)commanding officers of independent units;

(j)all brigade commanders; and

(k)all directors in departments of the Services.

(3)The Chief of Defence Forces may co-opt persons in possession of technical or professional knowledge to advise the meeting whenever necessary.

(4)The Command and Staff Meeting shall—

(a)formulate policy for consideration and approval by the High command and the Defence Forces Council; and

(b)perform such other functions as the Chief of Defence Forces may direct.

(5)The meetings of the Command and Staff Meeting shall be regular in each year, but shall not be less than four in each calendar year.

17A. Service Command and Staff Committees

(1)There is established a Service Command and Staff Committee for each Service, consisting of—

(a)the Service Commander, who shall be the chairperson;

(b)the Deputy Service Commander;

(c)the commanders of divisions, wings, groups or equivalent formations;

(d)the Service Chief of Staff;

(e)the Directors under the Service;

(f)the Commanders of Brigades, Air Force Groups or equivalent formations;

(g)the Commandants of training institutions affiliated to the relevant Service;

(h)the Commanders of battalions, squadrons, regiments or equivalent units under the relevant Service; and

(i)the Service Sergeant Major.

(2)The functions of the Service Command and Staff Committee are—

(a)to initiate policy proposals for consideration by the Command and Staff Committee of the Defence Forces;

(b)to prepare and consider work plans for the Service;

(c)to harmonise work plans with the budget of the Service;

(d)to ensure the implementation of the directives of a higher authority; and

(e)to perform such other functions as the Service Commander may direct.

[section 17A inserted by section 10 of Act 8 of 2025]

18. Implementation Committee

(1)There shall be an implementation committee of the Defence Forces responsible for supervising and ensuring the implementation of the decisions of the Command and Staff Committee, the High Command and the Defence Forces Council.[subsection (1) substituted by section 11(a) of Act 8 of 2025]

(2)The Implementation Committee shall consist of—

(a)the Chief of Joint Staff, who shall be the chairperson;[paragraph (a) substituted by section 11(b) of Act 8 of 2025]

(b)all Service Chiefs of Staff;

(c)all chiefs of departments of the Services of the Defence Forces;

(d)all commanders of any formations higher than a division that the President may, in consultation with the High Command, establish;

(e)all division commanders and the commandant of the general headquarters of the Defence Forces;

(f)all directors in departments of the Services; and

(g)commanding officers of independent units.

(3)The Implementation Committee shall meet at least once in each month.

19. Commissions Board

(1)There is established a board to be known as the Commissions Board which shall consist of—

(a)the Chief of Defence Forces, who shall be the chairperson;

(b)the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces;

(c)all Service commanders;

(d)the Chief of Staff;

(e)the Chief of Operations and Training of each Service;

(f)all Service Chiefs of Staff;

(g)the chief of personnel and administration of each Service, one of whom shall be the secretary;

(h)the Chief of Military Intelligence and Security of each Service;

(i)the Chief Political Commissar of each Service;

(j)the Chief of Legal Services of each Service;

(k)the commandant of the general headquarters of the Defence Forces; and

(l)the Chief of Career Planning of each Service.

(2)The Chairperson of the Commissions Board may co-opt commanders and technical persons or experts to advise the Commissions Board.

(3)The functions of the Commissions Board shall be—

(a)to give advice to the President in respect of appointment of persons to commissions in the Defence Forces;

(b)to select officers to undergo courses;

(c)to recommend officers to undertake promotions examinations after successful completion of the requisite courses and after such periods thereafter as shall be prescribed;

(d)to give advice to the President on the promotion of officers to different ranks in the Defence Forces;

(e)to receive officers’ grievances relating to promotions and to find solutions to those grievances; and

(f)to monitor the retirement of officers due for retirement and to determine any termination of service.

(4)In the absence of the Chief of Defence Forces, the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces shall preside at a meeting of the commissions board.

20. Unit Promotions Board

(1)There is established a Unit Promotions Board for each unit of the Defence Forces which shall consist of—

(a)the commanding officer, who shall be the chairperson;

(b)the officer in charge of operations and training;

(c)the adjutant, who shall be the secretary;

(d)the intelligence officer;

(e)the Political Commissar;

(f)all officers in charge of companies; and

(g)the regimental sergeant major.

(2)The Unit Promotions Board, in the case of medical personnel, shall be constituted as follows—

(a)the commanding officer who shall be the chairperson;

(b)the second in command of the unit;

(c)the adjutant, who shall be the secretary;

(d)the intelligence officer;

(e)the Political Commissar;

(f)all heads of department; and

(g)the regimental sergeant major.

(3)The functions of the Unit Promotions Board shall be—

(a)to select militants to undergo courses;

(b)to recommend militants to undertake promotions examinations after successful completion of the requisite courses and after such periods as shall be prescribed;

(c)to give advice to the Chief of Defence Forces on the promotion of militants up to the rank of warrant officer;

(d)to receive militants’ grievances relating to promotions and find solutions to those grievances; and

(e)to monitor the discharge of militants due for discharge and to determine any termination of service.

(4)In the absence of the commanding officer, the officer in charge of operations and training or in the case of medical, the second in command of the unit shall preside at a meeting of the Unit Promotions Board.

21. Meetings of Commissions Board

(1)The Commissions Board shall meet for the discharge of its functions as often as business requires and in any case at least once in every three months at a time and place that the chairperson may appoint.

(2)The quorum at a meeting of the Commissions Board shall be five members.

(3)The questions proposed at a meeting of the Commissions Board shall be determined by consensus.

22. Policy and administration committees

(1)There shall be a unit policy and administration committee for each unit of the Defence Forces which shall consist of—

(a)the commanding officer of the unit who shall be the chairperson;

(b)all heads of department;

(c)all officers of the unit; and

(d)the regimental sergeant major.

(2)The unit policy and administration committee shall be responsible for—

(a)implementation of policies of the Defence Forces in the unit; and

(b)formulation and supervision of administrative policies of the unit.

(3)The unit policy and administration committee shall sit at least once in every three months.

23. Pensions authority

[heading amended by section 12(a) of Act 8 of 2025]

(1)The pensions authority shall be responsible for the assessment, grant and payment of pensions and gratuities under sections 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 and 80 and other similar matters prescribed by or under this Act.

(2)[subsection (2) deleted by section 12(b) of Act 8 of 2025]

24. Committees

The President may, in consultation with the Defence Forces Council, create and appoint committees for the proper administration of the Defence Forces.

25. Board of inquiry

(1)The President or any person authorised for the purpose by the President, or any prescribed person may, where the President or such person thinks it expedient that information on any matter connected with the Government, discipline, administration, material or functions of the Defence Forces or affecting any officer or militant is necessary, appoint a board of inquiry for investigating and reporting on that matter.

(2)The board of inquiry shall be constituted and its procedure shall be in accordance with regulations made under this Act.

26. Defence Forces Fund

(1)There is established a fund to be known as the Defence Forces Fund.

(2)All fines imposed for any offence under this Act, gifts, donations, proceeds of sale of farm produce and funds generated by any other projects managed by or on behalf of the Defence Forces shall be paid into the Defence Forces Fund.

(3)The funds paid into the Defence Forces Fund shall be utilised in accordance with regulations made under this Act.

Part III – Employment of Defence Forces

Continuing full time military service, active service, attachment, secondment, etc.

27. Service of members of regular forces

Every member of a regular force shall be on continuing military service and shall at all times be liable to be employed on active service.

28. Inspectorate of Defence Forces

(1)There is established an Inspectorate of Defence Forces which shall be headed by the Inspector General of Defence Forces.

(2)The Inspector General of Defence Forces shall be answerable to the Chief of Defence Forces.

(3)The functions of the Inspectorate of Defence Forces shall be to—

(a)ensure accountability and transparency within the Defence Forces;

(b)combat graft and generally ensure professionalism and modernisation of the Defence Forces;

(c)ensure that all work and tasks assigned to particular departments and offices are discharged within the set period;

(d)promote and foster strict adherence to the rule of law, human rights and principles of natural justice in the armed forces; and

(e)perform such other functions as the Chief of Defence Forces may assign.

29. Reserve forces in peacetime

During peacetime, the functions of the reserve forces shall be the following—

(a)production;

(b)mobilisation and sensitisation of the civilian population;

(c)supporting the maintenance of security in Uganda;

(d)supporting the civil authorities in the case of disasters; and

(e)reinforcing civil authorities with professional skills as the need arises.

30. Mobilisation of reserve forces and prescribed forces

(1)The Commander-in-Chief may order the whole or any part of any reserve force or any prescribed force to be on continuing full time military service for a period as he or she may determine.

(2)Upon an order being made under subsection (1), the reserve force or prescribed force to which the order relates shall be liable to be employed on active service.

(3)When mobilised for continuing full time military service, the functions of the officers and militants of the reserve forces mobilised shall be—

(a)in the case of war, during the pre-hostilities phase—

(i)to gather intelligence and disorganise the enemy’s war preparations; and

(ii)to mobilise logistics such as commandeering transport in support of the war effort;

(b)during the combat phase—

(i)to operate covertly behind enemy lines;

(ii)to reinforce, when necessary, the regular forces in combat;

(iii)to assist in the evacuation of casualties;

(iv)to participate in the logistic support chain;

(v)to mobilise and sensitise the population in the theatre of operations against the enemy and in support of the war effort; and

(vi)to carry out any other duties in the rear assigned by command in support of the war effort; and

(c)after hostilities, to participate in operations to pacify the country.

(4)Where the reserve forces or any prescribed forces have been mobilised under an order made under subsection (1), the officers and militants of the reserve forces or any prescribed force or part of it to which the order applies shall, during the continuance of the order, be deemed for all purposes, except for such purposes as may be prescribed in the order, be part of the corresponding regular forces.

(5)During peacetime, the respective civil authorities in whose employment they are, shall remunerate members of the reserve forces and, at the same time, the reserve forces command shall identify and organise income-generating projects for the benefit of reservists as well as to support the national economy.

31. Mode of mobilisation

Whenever the reserve forces or any prescribed forces are required, the following two methods of mobilisation may be used—

(a)the silent method, whereby only those reservists or members of a prescribed force required will be notified and mobilised;

(b)the loud method, by which the whole of a reserve force is mobilised through the use of radio and other electronic media to respond quickly to a surprise attack or similar emergency.

32. Annual training

(1)Every reservist or member of a prescribed force shall be liable to be called out for training at such place and for such periods not exceeding thirty days in any one year as may be specified in regulations made under his Act.

(2)Every reservist or member of a prescribed force may, during any training for which he or she may be called, be attached to and trained with any unit of the regular forces.

33. Punishment for non-attendance

(1)Any reservist or member of a prescribed force who, without leave, lawfully granted or other reasonable excuse, fails to appear at the time and place appointed for annual training, or when called out in aid of the civil power under sections 41 and 43 or on continuing full time military service—

(a)if called out on continuing full time military service, commits an offence of desertion under section 144 or of absenting himself or herself without leave under section 146; or

(b)if called out in aid of the civil power or for annual training, commits an offence of absenting himself or herself without leave under section 146.

(2)Any reservist who commits any offence under this section is liable to be tried by a military court and to be punished in accordance with the punishment provided for the offence under this Act.

(3)Section 182 shall apply to reservists and members of a prescribed force who commit an offence under this section as it applies to persons otherwise subject to this Act.

34. Discharge on completion of engagement

(1)Every reservist who has completed his or her period or periods of reserve service or engagement according to this Act or regulations made under this Act, shall be discharged from the reserve forces, unless at the expiration of any period he or she is undergoing punishment for, or stands charged as a person subject to this Act with the commission of, any offence under this Act.

(2)Where a reservist is undergoing such punishment or is charged with any offence, his or her service shall be prolonged, and his or her discharge deferred until the punishment is terminated or until he or she has undergone his or her trial and any punishment imposed in respect of the offence with which he or she is charged.

35. Discharge during service

A reservist may be discharged by the competent military authority at any time during the currency of any term of reserve service or engagement—

(a)when pronounced by a medical officer to be mentally or physically unfit for further service; or

(b)if for any reason his or her services are no longer required.

36. Restrictions during full time service

(1)Subject to subsection (2), no officer or militant on continuing full time military service shall engage in any civil employment or undertaking which—

(a)is or is likely to be detrimental to the interests of the Defence Forces;

(b)reflects or is likely to reflect discredit upon the Defence Forces; or

(c)in the case of officers and militants of a regular force, is continuous.

(2)Subsection (1) does not apply to an officer or a militant who is—

(a)on leave immediately preceding release; or

(b)on leave without pay,

except that, any such officer or militant shall not engage in a civil employment or undertaking that reflects or is likely to reflect discredit upon the Defence Forces.

(3)Without prejudice to the general effect of subsection (1), the Minister may, by regulations made under this Act, specify the types of business that officers and militants shall not engage in.

37. Attachment and secondment

(1)An officer or a militant may be seconded—

(a)to any unit of any military, naval or marine or air force established in East Africa; or

(b)to any unit of any military, naval, marine or air force of a country which the President by notice in the Gazette, declares to be a country to which this section applies.

[subsection (1) substituted by section 13(a) of Act 8 of 2025]

(2)An officer or a militant may be seconded to any department or agency of Government or to any public or private institution, private industry or any other body.[subsection (2) substituted by section 13(b) of Act 8 of 2025]

(2a)An officer or a militant may be attached to a unit or Service within the Defence Forces, other than the one to which the officer or militant is ordinarily deployed.[subsection (2a) inserted by section 13(c) of Act 8 of 2025]

(3)An officer or a militant may be loaned under an agreement between the Minister and the appropriate authority of another country or government, an agency or a civilian body.

(4)No officer or militant of the reserve forces or of any prescribed force who is not mobilised shall, without his or her consent, be attached, seconded or loaned under this section.

(5)The manner in which and the conditions on which an officer or a militant may be attached, seconded or loaned under this section shall be prescribed by regulations made under this Act.

(6)An officer or a militant attached, seconded or loaned under this section shall, for all purposes, continue to be a member of the Defence Forces.

Deployment of troops outside Uganda

38. Deployment of troops outside Uganda

(1)The President may deploy troops outside Uganda for purposes of—

(a)peacekeeping; or

(b)peace enforcement.

(2)The deployment of troops for purposes of peacekeeping shall be done with the approval of Parliament.

(3)Where the President deploys troops under this section when Parliament is on recess, the Speaker shall immediately summon Parliament to an emergency session to sit within twenty-one days after the deployment, for purposes of ratifying that deployment.

39. Agreement relating to deployment of troops outside Uganda

Where troops are to be deployed outside Uganda under a multilateral or bilateral arrangement with other countries, the Minister shall enter into a Status of Forces Agreement with the host country or organisation.

40. Law applicable

(1)The deployed troops shall not be subject to the law of the host country or the jurisdiction of any court or tribunal deriving power under that law.

(2)A deployed soldier who commits any offence may be repatriated for trial in Uganda.

(3)Where the circumstances surrounding the commission of an offence by a person deployed outside Uganda require that the person be tried and punished at the scene of the crime, that person may, with the approval of the appropriate authority, be so tried and punished under the laws of Uganda.

Aid to civil power

41. Aid to civil power

The Defence Forces, any part of the Defence Forces, and any officer or militant, are liable to be called out for service in aid of the civil power in any case in which a riot or disturbance of the peace occurs or is, in the opinion of the appropriate civil authority likely to occur, if in the opinion of the appropriate civil authority the riot or disturbance of the peace is likely to be beyond the powers of the civil authorities to suppress or prevent.

42. Officers and militants have powers of police officer

(1)The officers and militants called out for service in aid of the civil power under section 41 shall, without further authority or appointment, and without taking any oath of office, have and may exercise, in addition to their powers and duties as officers and militants, all the powers and duties of a police officer.

(2)Where any officer or militant has been called out for service in aid of the civil power, he or she shall act only as a military force and shall individually be liable to obey the orders of his or her superior officer, who shall exercise his or her powers in collaboration with the officer in charge of the civil power.

43. Other assistance to civil authorities

(1)Subject to subsection (3), the Defence Forces or any part of the Defence Forces may be employed in rendering assistance to the civil authorities required to prevent loss of life or serious loss of or damage to property, or for other purposes when the public interest so requires.

(2)The service by officers and militants in rendering assistance authorised under subsection (1) shall constitute military duty.

(3)Unless he or she has been mobilised under section 29, no member of the reserve forces shall be required to perform any service in rendering assistance authorised by regulations under this section without his or her consent.

44. General

Nothing in sections 41, 42 and 43 shall be construed as restricting or qualifying the powers and prerogatives relating to the employment of the Defence Forces which are vested in the President and Commander-in-Chief by the Constitution or otherwise.

Cooperation with, and attachment, etc. of other forces

45. Cooperating forces

The President may, where he or she considers it appropriate, declare, by notice in the Gazette, the military, naval or marine or air forces of any other country to be forces acting in cooperation with the Defence Forces or any part of the Defence Forces, and may, if the officer commanding the cooperating forces is senior in rank to all the officers of the part of the Defence Forces concerned, place any part of the Defence Forces under the command of that officer commanding.

46. Attachment, etc. to Defence Forces

(1)Where the Service authorities having jurisdiction over any force to which this section applies, place any member of that force at the disposal of the Defence Forces, that member may be attached or seconded to the Defence Forces; and where any such member of another force is so seconded or attached, he or she shall, during the attachment or secondment, be deemed to be a member of the Defence Forces of equivalent rank.

(2)The forces to which this section applies are the naval or marine, military and air forces of the East African countries and of any other country which the President, by notice in the Gazette, declares to be a country to which this section applies.

(3)The regulations made under this Act may provide that any member of a force to which this section applies who is attached to the Defence Forces and who remains subject to the service law of the first-mentioned force, shall not, except in respect of any matter specified in the regulations, be subject to this Act.

Miscellaneous

47. Procurement

(1)The procurement for all services shall be conducted by the Chief of Joint Staff of the Defence Forces in liaison with the Ministry.[subsection (1) amended by section 14 of Act 8 of 2025]

(2)The procurements referred to under subsection (1) shall comply with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act and the Public Finance Management Act.

48. Supply and issue of material

The material supplied to or used by the Defence Forces shall be of such type, quality, pattern and design and shall be issued on such scales and in such manner as the Defence Forces Council or such authorities of the Defence Forces as are designated by the Defence Forces Council for that purpose may approve.

49. Commandeering and billeting

(1)In time of war or at any other time where there exists actual or threatened emergency, the Minister may appoint and authorise officers of the Defence Forces or public service by requisition, to obtain and take possession of buildings and other premises, supplies of foodstuffs, vehicles, aircraft, boats and any other article or thing whether similar to the foregoing or not, necessary for the maintenance in the field, of the Defence Forces and further, to provide for the billeting of the Defence Forces under such terms and conditions as may be prescribed.

(2)A requisition referred to in subsection (1) may be made on any person in the manner prescribed.

(3)Every person whose property is requisitioned under this section shall be entitled to fair and adequate compensation.

(4)Except where there is a state of war or where a state of emergency has been declared under Article 110 or 124 of the Constitution, compensation under this Act shall be prompt and paid prior to the requisition under this section.

(5)Where there is no state of war and no state of emergency has been declared under the Constitution, any person whose interest in property has been requisitioned and who is aggrieved about the compensation, shall have a right to apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for redress.

(6)Where there is a state of war or a declared state of emergency, the compensation shall be payable as soon as practicable, subject to any enactment relating to the war or state of emergency.

Part IV – Terms and contions of service

Recruitment and appointment to commissions

50. Recruitment

(1)The authority to recruit persons into the Defence Forces is vested in the Defence Forces Council.

(2)The members of the Defence Forces shall be recruited from every district of Uganda.

(3)Every person who wishes to be recruited into the Defence Forces shall first get the recommendation of his or her village local council.

(4)Notwithstanding subsections (2) and (3), the Defence Forces Council may undertake such special recruitment as the interests of the Defence Forces require.

51. Enrolment and appointment to commission

(1)Persons shall be enrolled into the Defence Forces as officers on appointment to a commission or as militants, in accordance with regulations made under this Act.

(2)No person shall be enrolled into the Defence Forces unless he or she—

(a)is a citizen of Uganda;

(b)is of good character;

(c)is at least eighteen years of age and has attained such level of education as may be prescribed;

(d)is medically fit; and

(e)meets such other conditions as the Defence Forces Council may prescribe.

(3)A person shall be qualified to be appointed to a commission in the Defence Forces if he or she—

(a)does not exceed such age and has attained such level of education as may be prescribed;

(b)has successfully completed a normal course of instruction at an officer cadet training establishment;

(c)has courage and initiative beyond the ordinary;

(d)is of exemplary character; and

(e)satisfies such other conditions as the Defence Forces Council may prescribe.

(4)A serving militant who does not have the qualifications referred to in subsection (3)(a) and (b) but has an outstanding record of service and is recommended by his or her commanding officer may be appointed to a commission.

(5)No person shall be appointed to a commission unless he or she has been recommended by the Commissions Board.

(6)The limitation on age referred to in subsection (3)(a) shall not apply to a person having professional qualifications.

(7)Every commission granted under this section shall be signed by the President.

(8)The President shall effect appointments to a commission in accordance with the Statement of Commission set out in Schedule 4 to this Act.

52. Oaths on enrolment

Every person, on enrolment into the Defence Forces, shall take the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Secrecy set out, respectively in Schedules 5 and 6 to this Act.

53. Re-engagement

(1)The Commander-in-Chief may re-engage, under contract, a retired officer or militant who possesses special skills.

(2)A retired officer or militant re-engaged under subsection (1) shall be paid gratuity at the expiry of his or her contract.

[section 53 substituted by section 15 of Act 8 of 2025]

Promotion, acting rank, temporary rank and honorary rank

54. Considerations for promotion

(1)For the promotion of an officer or a militant, the Board shall consider the following—

(a)the establishment of the Defence Forces;

(b)his or her length of service, and where applicable, age;

(c)training or courses or both, attended;

(d)appointment;

(e)results of such standard promotions examinations, practical and written, to be attended after such periods after successful completion of the requisite courses, as shall be prescribed by the Defence Forces Council;

(f)confidential reports by his or her commanding officer or head of department regarding—

(i)character;

(ii)discipline; and

(iii)performance;

(g)for professionals and quasi-professionals, qualifications and experience; and

(h)such other conditions as the Defence Forces Council may prescribe.

(2)The promotion of an officer shall be signed by the President or any other person or body authorised by him or her.

(3)The promotion of a militant shall be signed by the Chief of Defence Forces or by any other person or body authorised by him or her.

(4)The preparation and submission of the confidential reports referred to in of subsection (1)(f) shall be in accordance with such procedure as shall be prescribed in regulations made under this Act.

55. Board to consult

In the performance of its functions, the Board may consult any person it leems necessary but shall not take into consideration any representation hade contrary to this Act or regulations under the Act.

56. Board to summon persons

(1)The Board may require any person to attend and give evidence before it on any matter before the Board and may require the production of any document relating to the subject which is in the custody of the person.

(2)A person, other than a person summoned in connection with his or her recommendation for appointment to a commission, who—

(a)without reasonable cause fails to appear before the Board when requested to do so; or

(b)wilfully fails to produce a document under his or her custody which is required by the Board,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding one month’s pay.

57. Allowance for attending meeting of Board

A person attending a meeting of the Board on request by the Board, other than a person attending in connection with his or her recommendation for appointment to a commission, shall be paid such allowance as may be prescribed.

58. False information to Board

A person who knowingly and wilfully gives the Board any false information commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding one month’s pay or a term of detention not exceeding one month, or both.

59. Unauthorised disclosure

(1)No person shall, in any proceedings or communication not being any lawful communication within the Defence Forces, produce or disclose—

(a)any report, statement or other commission—

(i)written by the Board in the performance of its functions; or

(ii)written by himself or herself in the performance of his or her functions; or

(b)any document addressed to the Board,

unless the Chief of Defence Forces certifies that the production or disclosure is not against the public interest or will not jeopardise the defence of Uganda.

(2)No person shall publish or disclose to another person, other than in the performance of his or her lawful functions, the contents of any document or other communication which has come to his or her knowledge in the course of his or her official duties.

(3)Any person who contravenes this section commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding two months’ pay or a term of detention not exceeding four months, or both.

60. Demotion

No officer or militant shall be demoted below his or her substantive rank except by sentence of a military court of competent jurisdiction or, in the case of a militant, by reason of reversion or re-mustering.

61. Reward for distinguished service

The President may reward any member of the Defence Forces for distinguished or gallant conduct on active service in such manner as may be prescribed.

62. Acting rank and temporary rank

(1)The Chief of Defence Forces may, after consulting the Commander-in-Chief, grant an acting rank or a temporary rank to a senior officer of the Defence Forces.

(2)The Chief of Defence Forces may grant an acting rank or a temporary rank to a junior officer of the Defence Forces and shall notify the Commander-in-Chief of the grant of that rank.

(3)An acting rank may be granted at the discretion of a commanding officer to a militant who has acted for not less than such number of days as may be prescribed, in a vacancy in the establishment which carries a higher rank than his or her substantive rank.

(4)The grant of an acting rank or temporary rank shall be for the purpose for which it is granted, and shall not entitle the holder to the salary of that rank.[subsection (4) substituted by section 16(a) of Act 8 of 2025]

(4a)Notwithstanding subsection (4), the holder of a rank granted under this section is entitled to facilitation and allowances accruing to that rank.[subsection (4a) inserted by section 16(b) of Act 8 of 2025]

(5)An acting rank granted to a militant will be relinquished on the date the holder ceases to act in the appointment for which the rank was granted.

(6)On the lapse of the purpose or the period for which the acting rank or temporary rank was granted, an officer shall revert to his or her substantive rank unless he or she has been confirmed in the acting rank or temporary rank by the President.

63. Honorary rank

(1)The President may, on the recommendation of the Chief of Defence Forces, grant an honorary rank to a person—

(a)who has rendered distinguished service to the Defence Forces; or

(b)to enable him or her to hold or to facilitate him or her to effectively hold and exercise an appointment in the Defence Forces.

(2)The grant of an honorary rank under subsection (1) shall not, of itself—

(a)cause a person to become a member of the Defence Forces;

(b)confer any right of command; or

(c)unless the President on the recommendation of the Chief of Defence Forces otherwise directs, involve any expense to the public.

Release and suspension

64. Dismissal

(1)No officer or militant shall be dismissed from the Defence Forces except by sentence of a military court or by reason of the provisions of section 2(4)(b).

(2)Notwithstanding subsection (1), the Chief of Defence Forces may dismiss from the Defence Forces, with or without disgrace, an officer or militant who—

(a)is found guilty of any offence by a civil court; other than a traffic offence; or

(b)has been sentenced by a court martial to a term of imprisonment to which section 219(4)(b) does not apply and he or she has been advised by the Board that in the interest of the discipline of the Defence Forces, the officer or militant should accordingly be dismissed.

65. Resignation of commission

(1)An officer may in writing tender the resignation of his or her commission to the Board but shall not, unless otherwise ordered by the Chief of Defence Forces, be relieved of the duties of his or her appointment until he or she has received notification, in writing, of the approval of his or her resignation by the Board.

(2)The Board shall notify an officer of its decision on his or her application to resign his or her commission within ninety days after receipt of his or her application, and the approval of an application to resign the commission shall not be unreasonably withheld.

(3)An officer who resigns his or her commission under subsection (1) and resigns from his or her employment in the Defence Forces under any regulations, shall not be exempt from any service in the reserve to which he or she may be liable under this Act.

66. Discharge

The Defence Forces Council may discharge an officer or a militant from the Defence Forces at any time during the currency of any term of engagement—

(a)if, within two years from the date of enrolment, his or her commanding officer considers that he or she is unlikely to be an efficient soldier;

(b)for activities or behaviour likely to be prejudicial to the maintenance of public safety or public order or the discipline of the Defence Forces;

(c)when convicted by a civil court of any offence;

(d)when pronounced by a medical officer to be physically or mentally unfit for further service;

(e)on reduction of establishment;

(f)for any faults within or outside the control of the officer or militant;

(g)if for any justifiable reason his or her services are no longer required; or

(h)in the interest of the Defence Forces.

67. Entitlement to release and exceptions

(1)Subject to this section, and except during an emergency or when he or she is on active service, or as otherwise provided under this Act, an officer or a militant shall be entitled to be released at the expiration of the term of service for which he or she is enrolled.

(2)Except as may be provided in regulations, all periods during which an officer or a militant has been absent from his or her duty by reason of—

(a)imprisonment;

(b)desertion; or

(c)absence without leave,

shall not be reckoned towards the completion of the term of service for which that officer or militant is enrolled.

(3)Where the term of service for which an officer or a militant is enrolled expires during an emergency or when he or she is on active service, he or she is liable to serve until the expiration of six months after the emergency has ceased to exist or after he or she has ceased to be on active service, as the case may be.

(4)An officer or a militant shall not be entitled to be released at a time when, as a result of having committed or being suspected of having committed an offence under this Act, proceedings against him or her under this Act are or are likely to be taken.

(5)An officer or a militant undergoing a sentence of imprisonment or detention shall not be entitled to be released while serving the sentence.

68. Suspension

The Chief of Defence Forces or any other person authorised by him or her may suspend an officer or a militant pending the result of any inquiry into or any trial by a military court or civil court for any offence alleged to have been committed by him or her, or if the interests of the Defence Forces so require.

Financial and other matters

69. Pay and allowances

(1)Officers and militants of the Defence Forces shall be paid a consolidated salary.

(2)The salary and allowances for officers and militants of the Defence Forces shall be determined by the High Command.

[section 69 substituted by section 17 of Act 8 of 2025]

69A. Disability compensation

(1)Where an officer or militant suffers disability as a result of an injury, disease or illness attributable to or hastened or aggravated by his or her service, the pensions authority shall grant the officer or militant—

(a)a monthly disability compensation commensurate to his or her degree of disability as assessed by the Medical Board, which shall be paid from the date when the disability occurred and made accessible to the disabled officer or militant as soon as practicable after assessment by the Medical Board;

(b)a monthly helper’s allowance, commensurate to his or her degree of disability as assessed by the Medical Board, payable to an officer or militant with a residual or permanent disability degree of sixty percent and above; and

(c)on retirement or discharge, an additional pension or gratuity equivalent to the disability compensation and helper’s allowance received by the officer or militant in active service having an equivalent disability degree with the retired officer or discharged militant, as assessed by the Medical Board.

(2)The degree of disability shall be expressed as a percentage (100 percent representing total disablement) in the following classes—

(a)100 percent;

(b)less than 100 percent, but not less than 80 percent;

(c)less than 80 percent, but not less than 60 percent;

(d)less than 60 percent, but not less than 40 percent;

(e)less than 40 percent, but not less than 20 percent;

(f)less than 20 percent, but not less than 11 percent;

(g)10 percent and below.

(3)In the case of disability suffered by reason of two or more injuries, diseases or illnesses attributable to service, the degree of disability shall be determined with reference to the combined injuries, diseases or illnesses, but shall not exceed 100 percent.

[section 69A inserted by section 18 of Act 8 of 2025]

69B. Rates of disability compensation and helper’s allowances

For the purposes of this Act, the monthly rates of disability compensation and helper’s allowances are as set out in Schedule 9 to this Act.[section 69B inserted by section 18 of Act 8 of 2025]

70. Service pensions and gratuities

(1)An officer or a militant who is retired or discharged from the Defence Forces is entitled to pension, gratuity and other terminal benefits, as the case may be, in accordance with this Act and regulations made under this Act.

(2)The computation of pension under this Act shall be in accordance with Schedule 10 to this Act, and shall take into account retirement age, rank, salary and length of service.

(3)Pension, gratuity and other terminal benefits of officers and militants who are retired or discharged from the Defence Forces shall be paid promptly and shall be easily accessible.

(4)Pension granted under this section shall be paid for an aggregate period of fifteen years from the date of retirement or discharge, except that where a person to whom a pension is granted under this Act lives beyond fifteen years after retirement or discharge, he or she shall continue to draw his or her full pension until he or she dies.

(5)For the purpose of computing the amount of pension or gratuity to be granted to an officer or militant under this Act, the full annual pensionable emoluments enjoyed by him or her immediately before the date of his or her retirement or discharge shall be taken into account.

(6)A pension payable under this Act in respect of service in the Defence Forces shall take into account changes in the salaries of serving officers or militants.

[section 70 substituted by section 19 of Act 8 of 2025]

70A. Pensionable service for officers and militants

The pensionable service for officers and militants for the purpose of computation of pension, gratuity and other terminal benefits shall commence from the date of enrolment in the Defence Forces of the officer or militant.[section 70A inserted by section 20 of Act 8 of 2025]

70B. Gratuity and reduced pension

An officer or militant granted pension under this Act shall be paid a pension at the rate of the fraction of the pension, together with a gratuity equal to the number of times the amount of the reduction made in the pension as the Minister may prescribe by regulations.[section 70B inserted by section 20 of Act 8 of 2025]

70C. Circumstances in which pension may be granted

(1)An officer or militant shall be granted pension, gratuity or other terminal benefits under this Act on his or her retirement or discharge from the Defence Forces.

(2)An officer or militant may be granted pension, gratuity and other terminal benefits under the following circumstances—

(a)in the case of retirement or discharge to take up other service in Government, an international organisation or other institution;

(b)upon reduction in force;

(c)upon medical evidence, to the satisfaction of the pensions authority and upon recommendation by the Medical Board that he or she is incapable, by reason of any infirmity of mind or body, of discharging the duties of his or her office;

(d)where he or she retires or is discharged from the Defence Forces with the written consent of the Commander-in-Chief;

(e)where he or she is retired or discharged in the interest of the Defence Forces;

(f)where, for any justifiable reason, his or her services are no longer required; or

(g)where he or she dies in service, in which case, the gratuity or pension shall be paid to the beneficiaries of the deceased officer or militant in the manner prescribed by the Minister by regulations.

(3)The pensions authority may grant to an officer or militant under subsection (2)(f), such pension, gratuity or other terminal benefits as the pensions authority considers to be just and proper, not exceeding in amount, that for which the officer or militant would be eligible if he or she retired from the Defence Forces in the circumstances described in subsection (2)(e).

(4)Notwithstanding subsection (1), pension, gratuity or other terminal benefits shall be paid to an officer or a militant who is retired or discharged after serving for a continuous period of ten years or more.

[section 70C inserted by section 20 of Act 8 of 2025]

70D Grant of pension, gratuity and other terminal benefits on dismissal

(1)Where an officer or militant is dismissed from the Defence Forces without disgrace, the pensions authority may, if he or she thinks fit, grant pension, gratuity or other terminal benefits as the pensions authority thinks is just and proper, not exceeding in amount, that for which the officer or militant would be eligible if he or she retired from the Defence Forces in the circumstances described in section 70C.

(2)Where an officer or a militant is dismissed from the Defence Forces with disgrace, he or she is not entitled to pension, gratuity or other terminal benefits under this Act.

[section 70D inserted by section 20 of Act 8 of 2025]

70E. Arrangements for invaluable and meritorious service

The High Command may, in consultation with the pensions authority, if satisfied that a retiring officer or discharged militant has rendered invaluable and meritorious service to the Defence Forces and the country—

(a)make special arrangements for his or her retirement, including the provision of security, depending on the prevailing conditions and other retirement benefits; or

(b)determine honours and rights for him or her, commensurate with his or her invaluable and meritorious service.

[section 70E inserted by section 20 of Act 8 of 2025]

70F. Entitlement on death or for missing officers and militants

(1)Where an officer or militant dies within seven years of the date of an injury or contracting of a disease or illness, his or her legal personal representative may make a claim to the pensions authority for the grant of an additional pension referred to under section 70G to his or her legal personal representative.

(2)For the purposes of this Act, where an officer or militant goes missing from his or her unit or place of deployment and is not heard of by persons who are ordinarily or naturally close to him or her for three years, the Joint Staff, Human Resource Management shall declare him or her missing.

(3)Where an officer or militant is declared missing under subsection (2), the Chief of Defence Forces shall immediately set up a board of inquiry to investigate the circumstances under which the officer or militant went missing.

(4)Where, after investigations conducted under subsection (3), the board of inquiry is satisfied that the officer or militant is dead or cannot be found or otherwise has not been heard from by persons who are ordinarily or naturally close to him or her for three years, the board of inquiry shall declare the officer or militant dead and the family is entitled to receive the pension of the officer or militant in accordance with this Act.

[section 70F inserted by section 20 of Act 8 of 2025]

70G. Additional pension

(1)Where, as a result of—

(a)injuries received in the actual discharge of, and specifically attributable to the nature of his or her duty and which are not wholly or mainly due to or seriously aggravated by, his or her own serious and culpable negligence or misconduct; or

(b)contracting a disease wholly or mainly due to, or seriously aggravated by his or her duties, not being a disease wholly or mainly due to or seriously aggravated by his or her own serious and culpable, negligence or misconduct,

an officer or a militant dies within seven years from the date of the injury or the contracting of the disease, the pensions authority may grant a further pension, in addition to any other grant made to his or her dependents under section 70F—

(i)where the deceased officer or militant is survived by a spouse or multiple spouses, in the case of a spouse, a pension to him or her, at a rate not exceeding three quarters of the last pensionable emoluments at the date of injury and, in the case of multiple spouses, the pension shall be shared equally among the spouses;

(ii)where the deceased officer or militant is survived by a child or children, a pension in respect of the child or children, until the child or children attain the age of twenty-one years, of an amount not exceeding one-sixth of the pension;

(iii)where the deceased officer or militant is survived by a child or children, but does not have a spouse, a pension of double the amount specified in subsection (1)(b)(ii) in respect of each child, until the child attains the age of twenty-one years;

(iv)where the deceased officer or militant is survived by a child or children and a spouse to whom a pension is granted under subsection (1)(b)(i), and the spouse subsequently dies, a pension of double the amount specified in subsection (1)(b)(ii) in respect of each child, as from the date of the death of the spouse, until the child attains the age of twenty-one years; or

(v)where the deceased officer or militant is not survived by a spouse, or where no pension is granted to the spouse, and his or her mother or father was wholly or substantially dependent on him or her, a pension to the mother or father of the officer or militant, of an amount not exceeding the pension which may have been granted to his or her spouse, as the case may be.

(2)Notwithstanding subsection (1)—

(a)where there are more than six children in respect of whom a pension would be payable, the amount payable in respect of the six children shall be divided equally among the children during the period in which there are more than six children below the age of twenty-one years; and

(b)where a child under the age of twenty-one marries, the pension paid to the child under this section shall cease.

(3)This section applies where an officer or a militant dies—

(a)while travelling by air, sea, rail or road and is proceeding to or from Uganda;

(b)at the commencement or termination of his or her duty or during the period of secondment, duty, leave or in pursuance of official instructions; or

(c)while travelling on a route approved by the responsible officer, as a result of damage to the aircraft, vessel, train or vehicle in which he or she is travelling or as a result of any act of violence directed against that aircraft, vessel, train or vehicle.

(4)For the purposes of this section, “child” has the meaning assigned to it in the Succession Act.

(5)In the case of death of an officer or a militant whose dependants were wholly or substantially dependant on him or her for support, the pensions authority may take that fact into account in determining the amount of pension to be paid under this section.

[section 70G inserted by section 20 of Act 8 of 2025]

70H. Pension due to reduction in force

(1)Where an officer or a militant is discharged from the Defence Forces as a consequence of reduction in force, or for purposes of facilitating improvement in the organisation of the Defence Forces, he or she is entitled to terminal benefits as follows—

(a)where he or she has been in the Defence Forces for less than ten years, a pension in lieu of any gratuity under section 70C, as if the words “for ten years or more” were omitted from section 70C(4); or

(b)where he or she is discharged from the service of the Defence Forces, a pension at the annual rate of one-quarter of the pension for which he or she would be eligible under section 70C(4).

(2)The additional pension referred to in section 70G, together with the remainder of the pension, shall not exceed the pension an officer or a militant would have been eligible for, if he or she had continued to serve in the Defence Forces until the age of retirement, having received all increments for which he or she would have been eligible by that date.

[section 70H inserted by section 20 of Act 8 of 2025]

70I. Minimum pension

(1)A monthly pension granted to an officer or militant under this Act shall not be less than twenty-five percent of his or her last pensionable emoluments at the time of retirement.

(2)Subsection (1) shall not apply in respect of pension payable under section 70J.

[section 70I inserted by section 20 of Act 8 of 2025]

70J. Pensions, gratuity and other terminal benefits where officer or militant dies

(1)Where an officer or militant dies in service, the pensions authority shall immediately pay his or her pension to the dependants named in the Form set out in Schedule 11 to this Act—

(a)where the officer or militant served in the military service for less than ten years—

(i)a gratuity of an amount not exceeding three times his or her annual pensionable emoluments; or

(ii)a gratuity of an amount not exceeding five times the annual amount of pension the deceased officer or militant would have been eligible to receive, if his or her period of service had been qualifying service for the purpose of this Act;

(b)where the officer or militant served in the military service for a period of ten years or more, either a gratuity of an amount not exceeding three times his or her annual pensionable emoluments or his or her commuted pension gratuity, if any, whichever is the greater.

(2)For the purposes of this section, pension shall be granted as follows—

(a)where the deceased officer or militant is survived by a spouse, pension shall be payable to the surviving spouse until the surviving spouse dies;

(b)where the deceased officer or militant is survived by a child but not a spouse, pension shall be payable to the child until the child attains the age of twenty-one years;

(c)where the deceased officer or militant is survived by a child and a spouse to whom a pension is granted under subsection (2)(a), and the spouse subsequently dies within fifteen years from the date of death of the officer or militant, the provisions of subsection (2)(b) shall apply for the unexpired period of the fifteen years; or

(d)where the deceased officer or militant is survived by more than one spouse or child, the amount of any pension, gratuity or other allowance shall be divided equally among the wives and children.

(3)A pension, gratuity or other terminal benefit granted under this Act shall continue to be paid upon the death of the person to whom it is granted as follows—

(a)where the deceased officer or militant is survived by a spouse, to the spouse, until the death of the spouse;

(b)where the deceased officer or militant is not survived by a spouse but is survived by a child or children, to the child or children until the child or children attain the age of twenty-one years;

(c)where the deceased officer or militant is survived by a spouse to whom a pension is granted under paragraph (a) and a child or children, and the spouse subsequently dies before the expiry of the remainder of the fifteen years referred to in subsection (2)(a), subsection (2)(b) shall apply.

[section 70J inserted by section 20 of Act 8 of 2025]

70K. Pensions regulations

The Minister may, by regulations, prescribe the manner in which pensions, gratuities and other terminal benefits under this Act shall be granted.[section 70K inserted by section 20 of Act 8 of 2025]

71. ***

[section 71 repealed by section 21 of Act 8 of 2025]

72. ***

[section 72 repealed by section 21 of Act 8 of 2025]

73. ***

[section 73 repealed by section 21 of Act 8 of 2025]

74. ***

[section 74 repealed by section 21 of Act 8 of 2025]

75. Additional service

(1)If an officer or a militant receiving a pension under this Act re-engages, his or her pension shall cease and any period of additional service shall count as reckonable service for the purpose of assessing his or her final pension on his or her final retirement or discharge; except that the rate of pension payable on the final retirement or discharge of the officer or militant shall not be less than any pension payable prior to his or her re-engagement.

(2)Where an officer or a militant who on release was not qualified for pension re-engages after receipt of his or her gratuity, the pensions authority may, on his or her subsequent release, if the aggregate of his or her service would qualify him or her for pension, grant him or her a pension if the officer or militant refunds the gratuity he or she received in such manner as may be agreed between him or her and the Chief of Defence Forces.

(3)Where the officer or militant referred to in subsection (2) does not refund the gratuity and the period of his or her re-engagement alone does not qualify him or her for pension, the pensions authority shall grant him or her a further gratuity in accordance with section 70.

76. Emergency or recall

(1)Where an officer or a militant is recalled for service on full pay during a period of general recall on account of an emergency or in anticipation of a general recall, that officer or militant shall, during such further service, continue to receive his or her service pension at half the rate payable on the day before that on which the further service begins.

(2)On retirement or discharge, an officer or a militant who has been recalled under subsection (1) and who was not qualified for pension, on satisfactory completion of his or her period of engagement, shall be entitled to a lump sum payment of twenty-five percent of his or her total emoluments for the period of the further service.

77. ***

[section 77 repealed by section 21 of Act 8 of 2025]

78. ***

[section 78 repealed by section 21 of Act 8 of 2025]

79. Payment of pension

Every pension payable under this Act shall be paid monthly in arrears to the officer or militant to whom it is granted.

80. Pensions and gratuities charged on Consolidated Fund

All pensions and gratuities payable under sections 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78 and 79 shall be charged on the Consolidated Fund.

81. Payment of pensions, etc. in respect of veterans

(1)Subject to this Act, pension and gratuity shall be paid in respect of the death of a veteran.

(2)The pension and gratuity in respect of a veteran shall—

(a)be paid in the manner and shall be at the rates that apply to like payments under this Act;

(b)be current rate of pay applicable to the rank of the deceased; and

(c)be paid to such dependants of the deceased as would qualify for payment in respect of an officer or militant who dies in service.

(3)In this section, unless the context otherwise requires— “veteran” means a person who—(a)was a member of the armed wing of a liberation organisation;(b)as a member of that wing actively participated in the liberation struggle; and(c)died as a result of such participation in the liberation struggle;“liberation organisation” means any of the following organisations—(a)National Resistance Movement (NRM);(b)Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF);(c)Uganda Freedom Movement (UFM);(d)Former Uganda National Army (FUNA);(e)Save Uganda Movement (SUM);(f)Federal Democratic Movement (FEDEMO);(g)Front for National Salvation (FRONASA);(h)Uganda National Liberation Front/Anti Dictatorship (UNLF/Anti Dictatorship Rwenzori Front);(i)Kikosi Malum;“liberation struggle” means the struggle against the regimes of dictatorship in power during the period between 1971 and the 26th day of January, 1986.

(4)Anything done or made in good faith before the commencement of this Act in relation to pensions or gratuities in respect of veterans, which could have been done or made under this Act, shall be deemed to have been done or made under this Act.

82. Income tax

Notwithstanding any provision in any written law to the contrary, no income tax shall be charged upon any pension or gratuity granted under this Act.

83. Bankruptcy

Where an officer or a militant to whom a pension or gratuity has been granted under this Act is adjudged bankrupt by any competent court, that officer or militant shall continue to receive the pension or gratuity but the pension or gratuity shall not be subject to attachment under the Insolvency Act.

84. Imprisonment

The payment of a pension granted under this Act shall not be affected by a sentence of imprisonment imposed by a civil court upon the officer or militant to whom it was granted for any offence.

85. Assignability of pension

No pension or gratuity payable under or by virtue of this Act shall be assignable or transferable or liable to be attached, sequestered or levied upon for or in respect of any debt or claim except for the purpose of satisfying—

(a)a debt due to the Government; or

(b)an order of any court for the payment of periodical sums of money towards the maintenance of the spouse or former spouse, or minor child, of the person to whom the pension or gratuity has been granted.

86. Seconded personnel

(1)An officer or a militant seconded outside the Defence Forces in accordance with section 37(1) and (2) shall elect whether to receive his or her pay and allowances from the Defence Forces, or from the entity to which he or she is seconded.

(2)An officer or a militant who elects to receive his or her pay and allowances from the entity to which he or she is seconded under subsection (1) shall, with effect from the date of such election, cease to receive any pay or allowances from the Defence Forces, other than facilitation for assigned military duties.

(3)Where an officer or militant is seconded outside the Defence Forces to an office for which pension, gratuity or other retirement benefit is not paid, the period of service in the office shall be taken into account in computing the qualifying service for pension.

[section 86 substituted by section 22 of Act 8 of 2025]

87. Parliamentary representatives

(1)An officer or a militant who is a representative of the Defence Forces in Parliament shall elect whether to receive his or her pay and allowances from the Defence Forces or from Parliament.

(2)An officer or a militant who elects to receive his or her pay and allowances from Parliament shall, with effect from the date of such election, cease to receive any pay or allowances from the Defence Forces other than facilitation for assigned military duties.

88. Soldiers on remand, detention or bail

(1)An officer or a militant who—

(a)has been remanded by a civil or military court;

(b)is in detention other than by reason of a sentence of court; or

(c)is on bail, other than bail pending appeal while serving a sentence imposed by a court of law,

shall be entitled to his or her salary, until the disposal of the case.

(2)An officer or a militant shall not be paid a salary while serving a sentence of detention or imprisonment imposed by a competent court of law.

[section 88 substituted by section 23 of Act 8 of 2025]

89. Pensions Appeals Board

(1)There is established a Pensions Appeals Board which shall be responsible for determining appeals from decisions of the pensions authority.

(2)The Pensions Appeals Board shall be appointed by the Minister.

(3)The members of the Pensions Appeals Board shall be paid such allowances as the Minister may specify in their instruments of appointment.

(4)A person aggrieved by a decision of the pensions authority may appeal to the Pensions Appeals Board within ninety days from the date of notification of the decision.

(5)The Pensions Appeals Board shall inquire into the facts of the case and for that purpose—

(a)hear the applicant or any other person who, in the opinion of the Pensions Appeal Board, is able to give the Pensions Appeals Board information on the case; and

(b)have access to and consider all documents available to the pensions authority and which are relevant to the matter in question and shall consider any further documents relating to the case which may be produced by or on behalf of the applicant or the pensions authority.

(6)The Pensions Appeals Board may, after consideration of an appeal under subsection (5), confirm, reverse or vary the decision of the pensions authority and the pensions authority shall act in accordance with the decision of the Pensions Appeals Board.

[section 89 substituted by section 24 of Act 8 of 2025]

89A. Disapplication of Pensions Act

(1)For the avoidance of doubt, the Pensions Act shall at the commencement of this Act, cease to apply to members of the Defence Forces.

(2)A military veteran to whom this Act applies and who, on the commencement of this Act was receiving a pension, shall on the commencement of this Act, cease to receive the pension under the Pensions Act and receive the pension granted to him or her under this Act.

[section 89A added by section 25 of Act 8 of 2025]

General

90. Service of professionals

Where an officer or a militant who has professional or quasi professional qualifications and who has been serving in the Defence Forces in a professional or quasi-professional capacity in the field of his or her qualifications, subsequently seeks employment in any other Ministry or department of the Government, his or her service in the Defence. Forces shall count towards his or her seniority in the profession and qualification for an appointment or promotion in that Ministry or department.

91. Bonds

(1)An officer or a militant who receives military training or formal education at the expense of the Government of Uganda shall be required to serve in the Defence Forces for such period for each year of training or education as shall be prescribed by the Defence Forces Council.

(2)Notwithstanding subsection (1), an officer or a militant may retire from the Defence Forces in accordance with this Act or regulations made under this Act prior to the expiry of the period of the bond if he or she refunds to the Government the cost of his or her training or education.

92. Leave

(1)An officer or a militant shall be entitled to annual leave at such rates as shall be prescribed.

(2)Annual leave may be withheld only by reason of the exigencies of service.

(2a)The Joint Staff, Human Resource Management shall, by the 15th day of January of each calendar year, publish a leave schedule for all officers and militants.[subsection (2a) inserted by section 26(a) of Act 8 of 2025]

(2b)Where the annual leave of an officer or a militant is withheld by reason of the exigencies of service, the annual leave shall be carried forward to the next calendar year, except that in any case where it is not practicable to take that annual leave in the next calendar year, the annual leave shall not be carried forward beyond the next calendar year.[subsection (2b) inserted by section 26(a) of Act 8 of 2025]

(2c)Notwithstanding subsection (2b), an officer or a militant who does not take annual leave for more than three consecutive years by reason of subsection (2) shall be paid cash in lieu of the annual leave withheld for the three years at a rate of the consolidated salary per month payable to that officer or militant.[subsection (2c) inserted by section 26(a) of Act 8 of 2025]

(3)An officer or a militant proceeding on annual leave shall be entitled to such class of transport for himself or herself and his or her spouse and children as shall be prescribed.

(4)[subsection (4) repealed by section 26(b) of Act 8 of 2025]

(5)A female officer or militant shall, in addition to annual leave, be entitled to maternity leave of sixty days with pay, which leave shall count towards her reckonable service.

(6)On returning to duty after the maternity leave, a female officer or militant shall be entitled to work only half day for a period of not less than six months.

(6a)A male officer or militant shall, immediately after his wife has delivered or miscarried, have the right to four working days leave from work, referred to as “paternity leave”.[subsection (6a) inserted by section 26(c) of Act 8 of 2025]

(7)An officer or a militant may be granted—

(a)sick leave;

(b)compassionate leave;

(c)special leave;

(d)additional leave for travelling time;

(e)leave without pay and allowances; or

(f)pass of such length, by such authority and on such conditions,

as shall be prescribed.

(8)An officer or a militant on leave may be recalled to duty at any time.

93. ***

[section 93 repealed by section 27 of Act 8 of 2025]

94. Accommodation

Accommodation for officers and militants shall be as prescribed by the Defence Forces Council.

95. Transport

Transport for official duties shall be availed to entitled officers or militants in accordance with regulations made under this Act.

96. Marriage

(1)An officer or a militant who is not a professional as categorised in the regulations to this Act, shall be entitled to the facilities and benefits of a married officer or militant only after serving in the Defence Forces for not less than four years.

(2)The facilities and benefits referred to in subsection (1) shall only be provided to an officer or a militant whose marriage was contracted in accordance with the forms of marriage recognised by the laws of Uganda and who produces legally acceptable evidence in proof of the marriage.

97. Political office

A serving officer or militant who desires to seek political office shall first resign or retire from the Defence Forces according to regulations made by the Minister.

98. Administration of oaths

An officer of the Defence Forces who is an advocate qualified for appointment as a Commissioner for Oaths may, in respect of a person subject to military law, administer any oath or take any affidavit or statutory declaration which could be administered or taken by a Notary Public and a Commissioner for Oaths in Uganda, and every oath, affidavit or statutory declaration sworn or done by or before any such officer shall be as effectual as if duly administered, sworn or done by or before any person lawfully entitled to practise as a Notary Public or Commissioner for Oaths in Uganda.

99. Redress of wrongs

Every officer and militant shall have the right to seek redress for any wrong in accordance with regulations made under this Act.

100. Other provisions

The following shall be as prescribed in regulations made under this Act—

(a)the procedure of enrolment;

(b)the terms of enrolment in respect of colour service and service in the reserve;

(c)types of commissions and the ranks on appointment to a commission;

(d)the procedure for application for a commission;

(e)the procedure regarding appointment to a commission;

(f)the trades for militants, their groups and classification, and the ranks and appointments for militants graded in accordance with the trades;

(g)the service brackets for the promotion of officers and the applicable conditions to them;

(h)the ranking and promotion criteria for members of the Defence Forces holding professional or quasi-professional qualifications;

(i)the maximum ages of retirement for officers in the service ranks;

(j)the certificate of service to be issued on the release of an officer or a militant;

(k)the dates of commencement and cessation of pay;

(l)transfer to the reserve;

(m)increment of pay;

(n)reversion and re-mustering; and

(o)the procedure for redress of wrongs.

Appointment of civilians

101. Appointment of civilian employees

A civilian employee may be appointed to work in the Defence Forces where—

(a)the Defence Forces do not have appropriately qualified or adequately experienced military personnel to fill a vacancy in the establishment; or

(b)due to under establishment or any other reason, the Defence Forces do not have the human resource to provide certain services required by the Defence Forces.

102. Number of civilian employees

(1)The number of civilian employees to be appointed to work in the Defence Forces shall be determined by the Chief of Defence Forces on the following considerations—

(a)the availability of a vacancy in the establishment of the Defence Forces and the need to fill the vacancy;

(b)the availability of funds for the remuneration and other entitlements of the civilian to be appointed; and

(c)such other considerations as the Defence Forces Council may prescribe.

(2)The Chief of Defence Forces shall, before exercising his or her powers under subsection (1), consult the Permanent Secretary.

103. Preliminaries to appointment

(1)The responsible head of a department of the Defence Forces who desires a vacancy in the establishment of his or her department to be filled by the appointment of a civilian employee, shall make a request in writing in that regard to the Service Chief of Personnel and Administration indicating—

(a)the details of the vacancy;

(b)the qualifications and duties attached to the vacancy;

(c)the reasons why it is necessary to fill the vacancy by the appointment of a civilian employee; and

(d)such other details as the Defence Forces Council may prescribe.

(2)The Service Chief of Personnel and Administration shall, if satisfied of the need to fill the vacancy by the appointment of a civilian employee, forward the request of the head of department to the Chief of Defence Forces through the Service Commander and he or she shall—

(a)forward a draft advertisement for the vacancy with the request; and

(b)indicate the availability and source of funds to cater for the remuneration and other benefits of the civilian to be appointed.

(3)The Chief of Defence Forces shall, if satisfied with the considerations in section 101 and section 102(1) and after consulting the Permanent Secretary, forward the draft advertisement accompanying the request to the secretariat of the military contracts committee of the Ministry, for publication.

(4)Candidates for the vacancy shall be interviewed by a committee composed of the following officers of the relevant service—

(a)the Service Chief of Personnel and Administration who shall be the chairperson, or his or her representative;

(b)the Chief Political Commissar or his or her representative;

(c)the Chief of Legal Services or his or her representative; and

(d)the head of department who made the request for filling the vacancy by the appointment of a civilian employee.

(5)In the absence of the Service Chief of Personnel and Administration, the most senior member of the interviewing committee present shall be the chairperson.

(6)The interviewing committee shall regulate its own procedure and the chairperson of the committee may co-opt any person to render technical advice to the committee.

104. Manner of appointment

(1)The civilian employees to work in the Defence Forces may be appointed by contract or by letter of appointment.

(2)Where a civilian employee is appointed by contract, the terms of the contract of appointment shall be approved by the Permanent Secretary who shall be the signatory to such contracts on behalf of the Government of Uganda.

(3)Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2), where any regulations under this Act provide that an employee for the purposes of those regulations shall be appointed by some other authority and in some other manner, the employee shall be appointed in accordance with the provisions of those regulations.

105. Length of appointment

(1)A civilian employee to work in the Defence Forces shall be appointed for a period of not more than two years, subject to renewal.

(2)The appointment of a civilian employee shall not be renewed if—

(a)during the period of the appointment, the Defence Forces have obtained a militant who can fill the vacancy;

(b)shortly after the expected date of expiry of the appointment, the Defence Forces expect to obtain a militant to fill the vacancy;

(c)the employee elects to join the Defence Forces; or

(d)the services of the employee are no longer required.

(3)At any time, not being less than three months before the date on which his or her period of appointment terminates, the employee shall, through his or her head of department or the Service Chief of Personnel and Administration or both who shall make their recommendations in that regard, give notice in writing to the Chief of Defence Forces whether he or she desires to renew his or her appointment.

(4)If the employee desires to renew his or her appointment, the Chief of Defence Forces shall decide whether he or she will be re-appointed; in which case the Chief of Defence Forces shall accordingly advise the Permanent Secretary.

106. Place of service

A civilian employee shall serve in any place where the services of his or her appointment may be required.

107. Standard of work

A civilian employee shall—

(a)perform the duties of his or her appointment with reasonable skill, care and diligence and in accordance with any recognised standards applicable to his or her profession and appointment and the duties of that profession and appointment;

(b)devote all his or her energies to his or her duties;

(c)at all times safeguard the interests of the Defence Forces;

(d)exercise due care when handling property entrusted to him or her by the Defence Forces;

(e)as required by the nature of his or her employment, be available to perform his or her duties; and

(f)not engage in any business or activity likely to interfere or conflict with the performance of his or her duties.

108. Secrecy

A civilian employee shall not, at any time during his or her appointment or after the termination of his or her appointment, divulge to any person, except with the express permission of the competent authority of the Defence Forces, any information relating to or which came into his or her possession in the course of his or her duties.

109. Delivery of documents

A civilian employee shall, upon the termination of his or her appointment, deliver to the competent authority of the Defence Forces, all correspondence, documents and any property belonging to the Government which may be in his or her possession or under his or her control.

110. Conditions of service of civilian professionals and quasi-professionals

A civilian employee appointed to work in the Defence Forces in a professional or quasi-professional capacity shall—

(a)draw such allowances as he or she may be entitled to by reason of his or her appointment or the nature of his or her work in the Defence Forces;

(b)be equated, where applicable, to an officer or a militant of the Defence Forces of the same qualifications for the purposes of the following benefits—

(i)salary;

(ii)leave;

(iii)travel allowance;

(iv)accommodation;

(v)transport on official duties; and

(vi)medical care; and

(c)at the successful conclusion of each period of appointment, be entitled to a gratuity of such a percentage of the aggregate basic salary paid to him or her during the period as shall be prescribed.

111. Conditions of service of other civilian employees

Subject to this Act, the conditions of service for support staff who are not appointed to work in the Defence Forces in a professional or quasi professional capacity shall, as far as circumstances permit, be the same as those for support staff in the Public Service.

112. Appointment not pensionable

The appointment of support staff to work in the Defence Forces shall not be pensionable.

113. Other conditions of service

Notwithstanding sections 105(1), 110 and 111, a civilian employee may, due to the nature of the appointment or any other valid reason, be appointed to work in the Defence Forces on conditions of service other than the ones specified in this Act.

114. End of appointment

The appointment of a civilian employee in the Defence Forces shall cease—

(a)where the employee was appointed by contract, on termination of the appointment in accordance with the terms of the contract;

(b)on the period of appointment specified in the contract or letter of appointment coming to an end without re-appointment; or

(c)in any other case, on the Ministry or the employee giving notice of thirty days.

115. Bonding of civilians

Section 91 and any regulations made under this Act shall apply to a civilian appointed to work in the Defence Forces who receives education at the expense of the Government.

Part IVA – Health care

[Part IVA inserted by section 28 of Act 8 of 2025]

115A. Entitlement to health care

(1)An officer or a militant of the Defence Forces who suffers any injury, disease or illness is entitled to health care provided by the Defence Forces.

(2)An officer or a militant of the Reserve Force, who suffers any injury, disease, or illness attributable to the performance of his or her duties is entitled to health care provided by the Defence Forces.

(3)An officer or a militant of the Reserve Force who suffers any injury, disease, or illness not attributable to the performance of his or her duties and not as a result of his or her misconduct or imprudence, is—

(a)entitled to health care in accordance with subsection (2), if the injury, disease or illness occurs while he or she is on active service, on continuous duty or on special duty; and

(b)entitled to health care in accordance with subsection (4), if the injury, disease or illness occurs while he or she is on continuous reserve training.

(4)An officer or a militant entitled to health care under subsection (3)(b) shall receive—

(a)health care provided by the Defence Forces, until the training ends or until he or she is discharged from hospital, whichever is earlier; and

(b)after the termination of the period of his or her training, where his or her condition permits him or her to be discharged from hospital, such further health care at home as may be authorised by the Medical Board.

(5)A person subject to this Act or who is held in service custody shall, if he or she suffers any injury, disease or illness during his or her confinement, be entitled to health care by the Defence Forces until he or she is discharged from service custody or from hospital, whichever is earlier.

(6)A retired officer or a militant is entitled to free health care in a military hospital.

[section 115A inserted by section 28 of Act 8 of 2025]

115B. Rehabilitation

(1)Where an officer or a militant suffers physical, sensory or mental impairment as a result of his or her service, he or she shall, in addition to medical treatment, be entitled to rehabilitation services.

(2)Rehabilitation services under this section include counselling, provision of devices, including hearing aids, mobility appliances, white canes, sign language training, vocational skills and mobility skills.

(3)An officer or a militant who has undergone rehabilitation is eligible for redeployment in a suitable vacancy within the Defence Forces on the recommendation of the Medical Board.

[section 115B inserted by section 28 of Act 8 of 2025]

115C. Health care in foreign countries

(1)An officer or a militant who is entitled to and requires health care while in a country outside Uganda shall report to—

(a)a unit of the Service in which he or she is enrolled;

(b)any unit of another Service of the Defence Forces;

(c)a unit of a Cooperating Force to which he or she is attached or seconded;

(d)a unit of a Commonwealth Force;

(e)the nearest diplomatic or consular authority representing Uganda;

(f)a Commonwealth country with which Uganda has an arrangement for that purpose;

(g)the nearest unit of any friendly foreign army, navy or air force; or

(h)a civilian medical practitioner or hospital.

(2)Where an officer or militant reports under subsection (1)(d), (f) or (g), he or she shall ensure that the nearest diplomatic or consular authority representing Uganda or a Commonwealth country is informed of the circumstances immediately.

[section 115C inserted by section 28 of Act 8 of 2025]

115D. Health care while on leave in Uganda

(1)An officer or a militant who is entitled to and requires health care while on leave in Uganda shall report to the nearest readily accessible unit.

(2)Where a unit referred to in subsection (1) is not readily accessible, the officer or militant shall report to the nearest military hospital or health unit.

(3)The commanding officer of a unit to which an officer or a militant has reported under subsection (1) shall, after the health care is completed or suspended, obtain and forward a descriptive patient treatment history to the commanding officer of the officer or militant.

[section 115D inserted by section 28 of Act 8 of 2025]

115E. Control of health care

(1)An officer or a militant shall produce his or her national identification card and where applicable, his or her leave form, when accessing health care under this Part.

(2)An officer or a militant who has received health care while absent from his or her unit shall report to the medical officer of his or her unit immediately on return.

[section 115E inserted by section 28 of Act 8 of 2025]

115F. Medical Board

(1)There is established a Medical Board to be known as the Defence Forces Medical Board, consisting of—

(a)the Chief of Joint Staff, who shall be the chairperson;

(b)the Joint Staff, Health Services;

(c)the Commandant of the Defence Forces Rehabilitation and Vocational Centre, who shall be the secretary to the Medical Board;

(d)the Joint Staff, Human Resource Management;

(e)the Joint Staff, Political Commissariat;

(f)the Joint Staff, Legal Services;

(g)the Director of Pensions, Gratuity and Compensation;

(h)the Commissioner, Human Resource in the Ministry.

(2)The Medical Board shall—

(a)examine the medical condition of an officer or a militant referred to it by the Joint Staff Health Services;

(b)assess the degree of disability of injured officers and militants and recommend them for treatment or redeployment;

(c)determine the necessary welfare required for disabled officers and militants;

(d)determine the degree of disablement of an injured officer or militant for purposes of computing his or her disability compensation and helper’s allowance;

(e)recommend the transfer of disabled officers or militants to the Defence Forces Rehabilitation and Vocational Centre;

(f)assess and recommend an officer or militant who is eligible for treatment abroad; and

(g)assess and make recommendations for an officer or militant to be discharged from the Defence Forces on medical grounds.

(3)The Medical Board may co-opt any person to assist the Medical Board on a particular matter, except that the person co-opted shall not participate in any decision required to be made by the Medical Board.

(4)The Medical Board shall, in the performance of its functions be answerable to the Chief of Defence Forces.

[section 115F inserted by section 28 of Act 8 of 2025]

115G. Assessment by Medical Board

(1)A Defence Forces Medical Officer may, upon the assessment of an officer or a militant, refer the officer or militant to the Medical Board.

(2)Where an officer or a militant is referred to the Medical Board under this section, the Medical Board shall assess the officer or militant and make a decision within thirty days from receipt of the referral.

(3)The Medical Board shall meet as often as necessary, and in any case not less than once a month.

(4)For the purposes of this section, “assessment” means—

(a)the examination of information submitted to the Medical Board by a medical practitioner to determine the severity of—

(i)an injury suffered by an officer or a militant;

(ii)psychological or neural-psychiatric trauma suffered by an officer or a militant; or

(iii)a disease contracted by an officer or a militant as a result of participating in military activities;

(b)the examination of information submitted on an officer or a militant by a medical practitioner in order to determine the severity of—

(i)mental illness;

(ii)post-traumatic stress disorder; or

(iii)related conditions suffered by the officer or militant.

[section 115G inserted by section 28 of Act 8 of 2025]

115H. Medical fitness examination

(1)The Chief of Defence Forces shall, in consultation with the Medical Board, determine the standard of physical and mental fitness required of officers or militants in peace or war time for the efficient performance of each Service of the Defence Forces.

(2)The Chief of Defence Forces may, at any time, require an officer or a militant to undergo a medical examination or mandatory fitness test.

(3)The Minister shall, by regulations, prescribe standards for mandatory fitness tests required for officers and militants.

[section 115H inserted by section 28 of Act 8 of 2025]

115I. Health care for dependants of officers and militants

(1)A dependant of an officer or militant in active military service may be provided with health care by the medical services of the Defence Forces.

(2)For the purposes of this section, “dependant” means a person who wholly or substantially depends on an officer or militant for his or her survival.

(3)The Minister may, by regulations, limit the number of dependants of officers and militants entitled to health care services, and the nature of the health care services.

[section 115I inserted by section 28 of Act 8 of 2025]

Part V – Persons subject to military law

116. Code of conduct for Defence Forces

There shall be a code of conduct for the purpose of guiding and disciplining members of the Defence Forces as set out in Schedule 7 to this Act.

117. Members of Defence Forces to be subject to military law

All members of the Defence Forces are subject to military law, including—

(a)every officer and every militant of a regular force;

(b)every officer and every militant of the Reserve Force and any prescribed force when he or she is—

(i)undergoing drill or training, whether in uniform or not;

(ii)in uniform;

(iii)on duty;

(iv)on continuing full time military service;

(v)on active service;

(vi)in or on any vessel, vehicle or aircraft of the Defence Forces or any defence establishment or work for defence;

(vii)serving with any unit of a regular force; or

(viii)present, whether in uniform or not, at any drill or training of a unit of the Defence Forces;

(c)subject to such exceptions, adaptations, and modifications as the Defence Forces Council may by regulations prescribe, a person who, under any arrangement is attached to any Service or force of the Defence Forces or seconded as an officer or a militant outside the Defence Forces.

[section 117 substituted by section 29 of Act 8 of 2025]

117A. Other persons subject to military law

(1)A person, other than a member of the Defence Forces, shall be subject to military law under the following exceptional circumstances—

(a)where the person voluntarily accompanies any unit or other element of the Defence Forces which is in active service in any place;

(b)while serving with the Defence Forces under an engagement by which he or she has agreed to be subject to military law;

(c)where the person aids or abets a person subject to military law in the commission of, or conspires with a person subject to military law to commit a service offence;

(d)where the person, without authority, is found in possession of, sells or wears a uniform of the Defence Forces;

(e)where the person is found in unlawful possession of arms, ammunition or equipment ordinarily being the monopoly of the Defence Forces, prescribed in Schedule 7A to this Act or classified stores as prescribed in Schedule 7B to this Act, commits an offence under any written law; or

(f)where the person is serving in the position of an officer or militant of any force raised and maintained outside Uganda and commanded by an officer of the Defence Forces.

(2)A person referred to in subsection (1)(a) who, while accompanying a unit or other element of the Defence Forces, is alleged to have committed a service offence shall, for the purposes of this Act be treated as if he or she were a militant of the rank of private, unless he or she holds, from the commanding officer of the unit or other element of the Defence Forces that he or she so accompanies, or from any other officer prescribed by regulations, a certificate, revocable at the pleasure of the officer who issued it or of any other officer of equal or higher rank, entitling that person to be treated as an officer of a particular rank.

(3)A person who holds a certificate referred to in subsection (2) shall be treated as an officer of that rank in respect of any offence alleged to have been committed by him or her while holding that certificate.

(4)Every person subject to military law by virtue of subsection (1) shall, for the purposes of preparation, practice or execution of any plan, arrangement or manoeuvre for the defence or evacuation of any area in case of an attack, be under the command of the commanding officer of the unit or other element of the Defence Forces which he or she is with.

(5)The commanding officer shall, for the purposes of subsection (4) be deemed to be a superior officer of that person; but nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring any such person to bear arms or to participate in any active operation against the enemy.

(6)A person referred to in subsection (1)(b) who, while serving with a unit or other element of the Defence Forces, is alleged to have committed a service offence shall, for the purposes of this Act, be treated as a militant of the rank of private unless, by the terms of his or her contract of employment or contract of service he or she is entitled to be treated as if he or she were an officer or a militant of higher rank, in which case, he or she shall be treated in accordance with the rank prescribed in his or her contract or employment or contract for services.

(7)For the purposes of this section, “commanding officer” means the commanding officer of the unit or other element of the Defence Forces that the person accompanies, or in whose custody he or she is, or in which that person is serving, as the case may be.

(8)A person referred to in subsection (1) who commits a service offence while subject to military law may be liable to be charged, dealt with and tried for that offence, notwithstanding that he or she has ceased to be subject to military law since the commission of the offence.

(9)A person referred to in subsection (1) who, since he or she committed a service offence has ceased to be subject to military law shall, for the purposes of trial, be considered to have the status and rank which he or she held immediately before he or she ceased to be subject to military law.

(10)For the purposes of this section, but subject to such limitations as may be prescribed, a person accompanies a unit of the Defence Forces which is on service if he or she—

(a)participates with that unit in the carrying out of any of its movements, manoeuvres, duties in a disaster or warlike operations;

(b)is accommodated or provided with rations at his or her own expense or otherwise by a unit of the Defence Forces in any place designated by the President;

(c)is embarked on a vessel or aircraft of a unit of the Defence Forces; or

(d)is a dependant staying with an officer or a militant serving beyond Uganda with that unit.

(11)For the purposes of subsection (1)(e)(ii), “classified stores” means the items prescribed in Schedule 7B to this Act and have a marking, logo, insignia, regalia, serial number or anything that can identify the item as belonging to the Defence Forces.

[section 117A added by section 30 of Act 8 of 2025]

Part VI – Offences

Operational offences and offences relating to security

118. Cowardice in action

(1)A person subject to military law who displays cowardice in action commits an offence and is on conviction, where it results in failure of operation or loss of life, liable to suffer death or, in any other case, liable to life imprisonment.

(2)For the purposes of this section, “cowardice” in action means—

(a)running away or inciting others to run away from the enemy;

(b)going over to the enemy;

(c)improperly delaying or discouraging any action against the enemy;

(d)failing to use utmost exertion to carry out an operation when ordered to do so;

(e)failing to capture or destroy war materials from a routed enemy;

(f)improperly abandoning or delivering up a defence establishment, garrison, place, material, post or guard;

(g)talking or behaving in a manner that is likely to instil fear in other soldiers;

(h)premature unauthorised firing;

(i)assisting the enemy with material;

(j)improper casting away or abandoning of any material in the presence of the enemy;

(k)improperly doing or omitting to do anything which results in the capture or destruction of material by the enemy;

(l)leaving posts before being regularly relieved when on watch in the presence or vicinity of the enemy; or

(m)doing or omitting to do anything with intent to imperil the success of the Defence Forces.

119. Breaching concealment

(1)A person subject to military law who breaches concealment in operation, commits an offence and is on conviction, where it results in loss of life, liable to suffer death or, in any other case, liable to life imprisonment.

(2)For the purposes of this section, “breach of concealment in operation” means—

(a)unauthorised making of any noise;

(b)unauthorised talking;

(c)unauthorised walking;

(d)unauthorised smoking, lighting or any other form of exposure;

(e)unauthorised contact with other people;

(f)premature or unauthorised shooting;

(g)premature or unauthorised withdrawal;

(h)negligently choosing bad ground for concealment;

(i)giving premature orders that can endanger concealment; or

(j)any other act or omission that may result in breach of concealment.

120. Failure to protect war materials, etc.

(1)A person subject to military law who fails to protect war materials, misuses or sells them, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to suffer death.

(2)For the purposes of this section, “failure to protect war materials or misuse of them” means—

(a)failing to guard arms or ammunition;

(b)malicious damage to arms or ammunition;

(c)tampering with or mishandling of arms or ammunition resulting in damage;

(d)giving or allowing arms or ammunition to be handled by unauthorised persons;

(e)losing arms or ammunition or parts of them;

(f)failing to clean arms;

(g)improper disposal of arms or ammunition;

(h)illegal possession of arms or ammunition; or

(i)failing to do any other act necessary for the protection of any war material or otherwise misusing the war material.

(3)A person in command of any vessel, aircraft, defence establishment or unit of the Defence Forces who does not supervise the war materials under his or her command commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.

121. Failure to brief, etc.

(1)A person subject to military law who—

(a)is charged with the responsibility of briefing for an operation and fails to do so;

(b)fails to obey instructions as explained or laid down regarding briefing for an operation; or

(c)fails to prepare for an operation,

commits an offence and is, on conviction, where there is failure of operation or loss of life, liable to suffer death or, in any other case, liable to life imprisonment.

(2)For the purposes of this section, “failure to brief or to prepare for an operation” means—

(a)failing to ensure that soldiers are thoroughly briefed before an operation;

(b)failing to carry out de-briefing after an operation;

(c)failing to ensure personal preparation for an operation;

(d)failing to ensure group preparation for an operation;

(e)failing to ensure combat readiness of all soldiers;

(f)failing to ensure thorough reconnaissance;

(g)giving false or unreliable information about reconnaissance; or

(h)neglecting training of soldiers.

122. Personal interests endangering operational efficiency

A person subject to military law who does any of the following acts commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to life imprisonment—

(a)exposing operational plans to unauthorised persons;

(b)misusing operational funds, food or other supplies for personal interest;

(c)capturing from the enemy goods for personal use instead of capturing materials for the Defence Forces;

(d)failing to report and hand in goods captured from the enemy;

(e)failing to ensure that goods captured from the enemy are brought to base and are accounted for; or

(f)being drunk during an operation.

123. Careless shooting in operation

A person subject to military law who carelessly shoots any person or handles arms or ammunition in such a manner as to endanger lives of other persons in operation, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to life imprisonment.

124. Offences relating to operations

A person subject to military law who—

(a)commits an act of violence to any person bringing material to the Defence Forces or to any forces cooperating with the Defence Forces;

(b)irregularly detains or diverts any material being convoyed to any unit of the Defence Forces or of any forces cooperating with the Defence Forces;

(c)without orders from his or her superior officer, improperly destroys or damages any property;

(d)breaks into any house or other place with intention to plunder;

(e)commits any offence against the property or person of any inhabitant or resident of a country in which he or she is serving;

(f)steals from or with intent to steal, searches the body of any person killed or wounded in the course of war-like operations;

(g)steals any money or property which has been left exposed or unprotected in consequence of war-like operations;

(h)takes, otherwise than for the service of the Republic of Uganda, any money or property abandoned by the enemy; or

(i)being a person in command of a unit or detachment of the Defence Forces, uses soldiers of his or her unit or permits or suffers soldiers of his or her unit to be used for carriage of merchandise for sale to soldiers of the unit or detachment for his or her own or another person’s personal gain,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to life imprisonment.

125. Offences relating to prisoners of war

A person subject to military law who—

(a)by want of due precaution through disobedience of orders or willful neglect of duty, is made a prisoner of war;

(b)having been made a prisoner of war, fails to rejoin the Defence Forces when able to do so; or

(c)having been made a prisoner of war, serves with or aids the enemy,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to suffer death.

126. Offences by persons in command when in action

A person in command of a vessel, aircraft, defence establishment or unit of the Defence Forces who—

(a)when under orders to carry out an operation of war or on coming into contact with an enemy which it is his or her duty to engage, does not use his or her utmost exertion to bring the officers and militants under his or her command or his or her ship, vessel, aircraft or his or her other material into action;

(b)being in action, does not, during the action in his or her own person and according to his or her rank, encourage the officers and militants under his or her command to fight courageously;

(c)when capable of making a successful defence, surrenders his or her ship, material or unit to the enemy; or

(d)gives premature orders to attack resulting in failure of operation,

commits an offence and, on conviction, where it results in failure of operation or loss of life, shall be sentenced to death or, in any other case, is liable to life imprisonment.

127. Treachery

A person subject to military law who, for any purpose prejudicial to the security or interests of Uganda—

(a)infiltrates the Defence Forces or is an agent of a foreign power or of any force engaging in war or war-like activities against the Government;

(b)consciously gives classified information to a foreign power or any force engaging in war or war-like activities against the Government or solicits information with a view to giving the information to such a power or force;

(c)consciously gives confidential information to anyone without the knowledge and approval of the proper authority; or

(d)consciously withholds vital information from the proper authorities,

commits the offence of treachery and is liable, on conviction, to suffer death.

128. Offences relating to security

(1)A person subject to military law who—

(a)discloses by word of mouth or by document, confidential information to the enemy or to unauthorised members of the Defence Forces or the public;

(b)talks about or discusses any confidential information in unauthorised places or with authorised persons within hearing distance of unauthorised persons;

(c)gives a parole, watchword, password, countersign or identification signal different from that which he or she received or without authority, alters or interferes with any identification or other signal;

(d)improperly occasions false alarm;

(e)forces a safeguard or forces or strikes a sentinel; or

(f)does or omits to do anything with intent to prejudice the security of the Defence Forces or forces cooperating with the Defence Forces,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to suffer death.

(2)For the purposes of this section—“confidential information” means—(a)intelligence information;(b)information relating to the members’ positions, materials, movements, preparations for operations of the Defence Forces or of any forces cooperating with the Defence Forces;(c)information relating to radio cryptographic system, aid, process, procedure, publication or document of the Defence Forces or of any forces cooperating with the Defence Forces;(d)parole, watchword, password, countersign or identification signal; or(e)any other informational material as may be prescribed;“parole” means a special password used only by persons authorised to do so;“safeguard” means anything that protects against loss or injury.

129. Offences relating to guard duties

(1)A person subject to military law who—

(a)assaults a person on guard duty;

(b)by act, word or gesture wrongfully compels a person on guard duty to let him or her or any other person pass;

(c)wrongfully evades a guard;

(d)in any manner whatsoever prevents a person from doing his or her guard duty;

(e)occasions false alarm to a person on guard duty; or

(f)assaults, ill treats or uses unnecessary violence against a person in custody,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

(2)For the purposes of this section, any reference to a person on guard shall be construed as a reference to a person who is posted or ordered to patrol or is a member of a guard or other party mounted or ordered to patrol for the purposes of—

(a)protecting any person;

(b)preventing or controlling access to or egress from any premises or place; or

(c)regulating traffic by road or rail, river or lake.

Mutiny

130. Mutiny

(1)A person subject to military law who—

(a)plots, incites, conspires to cause, takes part in or endeavours to persuade any person to join in a mutiny;

(b)being present, does not use his or her utmost endeavours to suppress a mutiny; or

(c)being aware of an actual or intended mutiny, does not, without delay inform his or her superior officer of the mutiny,

commits the offence of mutiny and is on conviction, where it results in failure of operation, loss of life or destruction of military operational materials, liable to suffer death or, in any other case, liable to life imprisonment.

(2)In this section, the offence of mutiny shall be deemed to be committed when a combination of two or more persons subject to military law or persons two at least of whom are subject to military law, use any means under subsection (1)—

(a)to overthrow or resist lawful authority in the Defence Forces or any forces cooperating with the Defence Forces or any part of the Defence Forces;

(b)to disobey such authority in such circumstances as to make disobedience subversive of discipline or with the object of avoiding any duty or service against or in connection with operations against the enemy; or

(c)to impede the performance of any duty or service in the Defence Forces or any forces cooperating with the Defence Forces or any part of the Defence Forces.

Insubordination

131. Disobeying lawful orders

(1)A person subject to military law who either wilfully or through neglect, disobeys a lawful order commits an offence and is, on conviction, where it results in failure of operation or loss of life, liable to suffer death or, in any other case, liable to life imprisonment.

(2)For the purposes of this section, “disobeying lawful orders” means—

(a)failing to carry out lawful orders;

(b)failing to communicate lawful orders;

(c)breaking lines of formation;

(d)taking an unauthorised route while on operation;

(e)breaking off from the main operational group; or

(f)talking to unauthorised persons outside terms of reference while on operation.

132. Failure to execute one’s duties

(1)A person subject to military law who fails to execute his or her duties, commits an offence and is, on conviction, where it results in failure of operation or loss of life, liable to suffer death or, in any other case, liable to life imprisonment.

(2)For the purposes of this section, “failing to execute one’s duties” means—

(a)failing to take charge of road blocks;

(b)failing to oversee observation posts or, when acting as sentry or lookout, leaving posts before being regularly relieved or sleeping or being drunk;

(c)failing to manage quarter guard or other guard duties;

(d)failing to deliver messages or information on time;

(e)mishandling, misplacing or losing information;

(f)raising undue complaints over operations; or

(g)otherwise failing to execute assigned duties or missions without reasonable excuse.

133. Violence to superior officer

A person subject to military law who unlawfully strikes or draws or lifts up a weapon against a superior officer, or uses or offers violence against a superior officer, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

134. Insubordinate behaviour

A person subject to military law who uses threatening or insulting language to or behaves with contempt toward a superior officer commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

Disgraceful conduct

135. Spreading harmful propaganda

(1)A person subject to military law who spreads harmful propaganda, commits an offence and is, on conviction, where there is failure of operation or loss of life, liable to suffer death or, in any other case, liable to life imprisonment.

(2)For the purposes of this section, “spreading harmful propaganda” means—(a)discouraging other soldiers from carrying out an operation;(b)speculation about an operation;(c)making oral or written statements ill of the Defence Forces or of the Government not being constructive criticism; or(d)spreading false stories intended to undermine support for or morale of members of the Defence Forces or to incite support for or boost morale of the enemy.

136. Malingering or maiming

A person subject to military law who—

(a)malingers, feigns disease or induces disease or infirmity;

(b)intentionally aggravates or delays the cure of any disease or infirmity by misconduct or wilful disobedience of orders; or

(c)wilfully maims or injures himself or herself or any other person who is in the Defence Forces or of any forces cooperating with the Defence Forces, whether at the instance of that person or not, with intent by doing so, to render himself or herself or that other person unfit for service, or causes himself or herself to be maimed or injured by any person with intent to render himself or herself unfit for service,

commits an offence and is on conviction if he or she committed the offence on active service or when under orders for active service, or in respect of a person on active service or under orders for active service, liable to life imprisonment or, in any other case, liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.

137. Drunkenness

(1)A person in the Defence Forces who is drunk, whether or not on duty, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.

(2)For the purposes of this section, a person is drunk if owing to the influence of alcohol, whether alone or in combination with any other circumstances, he or she is unfit to be entrusted with his or her duty or with any duty which he or she might be called upon to perform, or behaves in a disorderly manner or in a manner likely to bring discredit to the Defence Forces.

138. Taking or possessing drugs

A person subject to military law who takes or is in unlawful possession of bhangi, cannabis, marijuana, cocaine or any other intoxicating drug as may be prescribed by the Defence Forces Council, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.

139. Abuse of and violence to inferiors

A person subject to military law who unlawfully strikes, draws, lifts up a weapon against or in any way ill-treats any person in the Defence Forces who by reason of rank or appointment is subordinate to him or her, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

140. False accusation, etc.

A person subject to military law who—

(a)makes a false accusation against any officer or militant, knowing the accusation to be false; or

(b)when seeking redress in a matter in which he or she considers that he or she has suffered any personal oppression, injustice or other ill-treatment or that he or she has any other cause for grievance, knowingly makes a false statement affecting the character of an officer or a militant which he or she knows to be false or knowingly, in respect of the redress so sought, suppresses any material facts,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

141. Quarrels and disturbances

A person subject to military law, who quarrels or fights with any other person or who uses provoking words or gestures towards any person tending to cause a quarrel or disturbance, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.

142. Disorders

A person subject to military law, who—

(a)being concerned in a quarrel, fray or disorder refuses to obey an officer or militant, though of inferior rank, who orders him or her into arrest, or strikes or uses or offers violence to any such officer or militant;

(b)strikes or uses or offers violence to any other person in whose custody he or she is placed;

(c)resists an escort whose duty is to apprehend him or her or to have him or her in-charge; or

(d)breaks out of barracks, station, camp, quarters or ship,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.

143. Scandalous conduct by officers

(1)An officer who behaves in a scandalous manner unbecoming of an officer, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to suffer dismissal from the Defence Forces with or without disgrace.

(2)For the purposes of this section, “scandalous conduct” means the personal conduct of an officer which is generally against public order, expectations and morality, whether or not the conduct directly or indirectly affects others.

Desertion and absence without leave

144. Desertion

(1)A person subject to military law, who deserts the Defence Forces, commits an offence and is, on conviction—

(a)if the desertion endangers life or leads to loss of life;

(b)if he or she deserts with arms or ammunition or other war materials; or

(c)if he or she deserts and joins the enemy,

liable to suffer death or, in any other case, liable to life imprisonment.

(2)For the purposes of this section, a person deserts who—

(a)being on or having been warned for active service, is absent without authority with the intention of avoiding that service;

(b)deserts from the Defence Forces and joins, reports to or otherwise assists the enemy;

(c)having been warned that his or her vessel or aircraft is under sailing or flight orders, is absent without authority, with the intention of missing that vessel or aircraft;

(d)absents himself or herself without authority from his or her unit or formation or from the place where his or her duty requires him or her to be, with the intention of not returning to that unit, formation or place;

(e)while absent with authority from his or her unit or formation or from the place where his or her duty requires him or her to be, at anytime during that absence, forms the intention of not returning to that unit, formation or place; or

(f)while absent with authority from his or her unit or formation or the place where his or her duty requires him or her to be, with the intention of not returning to that unit, formation or place, does any act or omits to do anything, the natural or probable consequence of which act or omission is to preclude his or her return to that unit, formation or place at the time required.

(3)A person who has been absent without authority for a continuous period of twenty-one days or more, shall, for the purposes of this Act, unless the contrary is proved, be presumed to have deserted.

145. Connivance at desertion

A person subject to military law, who—

(a)being aware of the desertion or intended desertion of a person from the Defence Forces, does not, without reasonable excuse, inform the Defence Forces authorities; or

(b)fails to take any steps in his or her power to cause the arrest of a person known by him or her to be a deserter,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

146. Absence without leave

(1)A person subject to military law, who absents himself or herself without leave commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding four years.

(2)For the purposes of this section, a person absents himself or herself without leave who—

(a)without authority, leaves his or her unit, formation or the place where his or her duty requires him or her to be; or

(b)with authority, is absent from his or her unit, formation or the place where his or her duty requires him or her to be, but fails to return to that unit, formation or place at the expiration of the period for which his or her absence was authorised.

147. False statement in respect of leave

A person subject to military law who knowingly makes a false statement for the purposes of obtaining or prolonging leave of absence from his or her unit, formation or the place where his or her duty requires him or her to be, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.

Offences relating to vessels, aircraft and vehicle

148. Offences relating to convoys

A person subject to military law who, while serving in any ship or vessel belonging to, or being used by the Defence Forces and involved in the convoying and protection of another ship or vessel—

(a)fails to defend any ship, vessel or goods under convoy;

(b)refuses to fight in the defence of a ship or vessel in his or her convoy when it is attacked; or

(c)cowardly abandons or exposes a ship or vessel in his or her convoy to hazards,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to suffer death.

149. Losing, stranding or hazarding vessels or aircraft

A person who wilfully hijacks or through default, loses, strands or hazards or suffers to be lost, stranded or hazarded any ship, vessel, armoured vehicle or aircraft belonging to or used by the Defence Forces or forces cooperating with the Defence Forces, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to suffer death.

150. Wrongful acts in relation to aircraft, etc.

A person who—

(a)in the use of, or in relation to, any aircraft or aircraft material, wilfully or negligently or contrary to regulations, orders or instructions, does any act or omits to do anything which act or omission results or is likely to result in damage to or destruction or loss of any aircraft or aircraft material of the Defence Forces or forces cooperating with the Defence Forces;

(b)wilfully or negligently or contrary to regulations, orders or instructions, does any act or omits to do anything which act or omission results in the loss of any aircraft or aircraft material of the Defence Forces or forces cooperating with the Defence Forces; or

(c)during a state of war, wilfully or negligently causes the confiscation by or under the authority of a neutral state of any of the aircraft of the Defence Forces or of any forces cooperating with the Defence Forces,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to suffer death.

151. Attempt to hijack aircraft, vessel, etc.

A person who attempts to hijack an aircraft, vessel or ship belonging to or under use by, the Defence Forces or forces cooperating with the Defence Forces, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to suffer death.

152. Dangerous acts in relation to aircraft

A person subject to military law who, intentionally or negligently, does or omits to do an act in the use of or in relation to an aircraft, or aircraft material, which act or omission causes or is likely to cause loss of life or bodily injury to any person, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to life imprisonment.

153. Disobedience of commander’s orders

(1)A person subject to military law who, when in an aircraft, disobeys any lawful command given by the commander of the aircraft in relation to the flying or handling of the aircraft, or relating to the safety of the aircraft, whether or not the commander is a person subject to military law, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to life imprisonment.

(2)For the purposes of this section—

(a)a person, whatever his or her rank, shall, when he or she is in an aircraft, be under the command of the commander of the aircraft as respects all matters relating to the flying, handling or safety of the aircraft whether or not the commander is a person subject to military law; and

(b)if the aircraft is a glider and is being towed by another aircraft, the commander of the glider shall, so long as his or her glider is being towed, be under the command of the commander of the aircraft as respects all matters relating to the flying or handling of the glider or affecting the safety of the glider, whether or not the commander is a person subject to military law.

154. Inaccurate certificate

Except where the person proves that he or she took reasonable steps to ensure that the certificate was accurate, a person who signs an inaccurate certificate in relation to an aircraft or aircraft material, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.

155. Low flying

A person subject to military law who flies an aircraft at a height lower than the height prescribed by regulations or in any other manner so as to cause or to be likely to cause annoyance to any person except—

(a)while taking off or landing; or

(b)in such other circumstances as may be prescribed,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

156. Unauthorised use of vehicles

Any person who—

(a)uses a vehicle of the Defence Forces for unauthorised purposes; or

(b)uses a vehicle of the Defence Forces contrary to any regulations made under this Act, orders or instructions,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding four years.

157. Improper driving of vehicles

Any person subject to military law who—

(a)drives a vehicle of the Defence Forces recklessly or in a manner that is dangerous to any person or property having regard to all the circumstances of the case, or, having charge of and being in or on such a vehicle, causes or by wilful neglect permits it to be so driven;

(b)while his or her ability to drive is impaired by alcohol or a drug, drives or attempts to drive a vehicle of the Defence Forces; or

(c)having charge of a vehicle of the Defence Forces, knowingly permits it to be driven by a person whose ability to drive is impaired by alcohol or a drug,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

Offences relating to other property

158. Protection of defence stores

(1)The Minister shall, by notice in the Gazette, declare and make known what mark or marks when applied to any arms, clothing, equipment, vehicle, aircraft or boat shall denote them as property of the State.

(2)A person who—

(a)with fraudulent intent applies to any arms, clothing, equipment, vehicle, aircraft or boat any mark referred to in subsection (1);

(b)fraudulently defaces or conceals any mark referred to in subsection (1) on any arms, clothing, equipment, vehicle, aircraft or boat; or

(c)unlawfully receives, possesses, sells or delivers any arms, clothing, equipment, vehicle, aircraft or boat bearing any mark referred to in subsection (1) or forbidden by or under this Act to be sold, pledged or otherwise disposed of,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for life.

159. Unlawful purchase, etc. of military stores

(1)Any person who acquires military stores or solicits or procures any person to dispose of any military stores, commits an offence, unless he or she proves either—

(a)that he or she did not know and could reasonably not be expected to know, that the chattels in question were military stores;

(b)that those chattels had, by earlier transaction, been disposed of by order or with the consent of some person or authority who had, or whom he or she had reasonable cause to believe had, power to give the order or consent; or

(c)that those chattels had become the property of an officer or a militant who had ceased to be a member of the Defence Forces, or of the personal representative of a person who had died,

and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding three hundred forty currency points or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years, or both.

(2)A member of the Defence Forces or Police Force may arrest without warrant any person whom he or she has reasonable grounds for suspecting to have committed an offence under this section, and may seize any property which he or she has reasonable grounds for suspecting to have been the subject of the offence.

(3)A member of a court martial may, if satisfied by evidence on oath that a person within the jurisdiction of the court martial, has, or is reasonably suspected to have in his or her possession, any property which has been the subject of an offence under this section, grant a warrant to search for the property as in the case of stolen goods.

(4)Any property suspected to have been the subject of the offence under this section which is found on the search shall be seized by the officer charged with the execution of the warrant, and that officer shall bring the person in whose possession or keeping the property is found before a court martial.

(5)In this section—“acquire” means buy, take in exchange, take in pawn or otherwise receive, whether apart from this section the receiving is lawful or not;“dispose” means sell, give in exchange, pledge or otherwise hand over, whether apart from this section the handing over is lawful or not; and“military stores” means any chattel of any description belonging to the Government which has been issued when required, and includes, any chattel which had belonged and had been issued or held as described in this subsection at some past time.

160. Destruction, loss or improper disposal of property

A person subject to military law, who—

(a)wilfully destroys or damages or loses by neglect or improperly sells or wastefully expends any property—

(i)of the Defence Forces or forces cooperating with the Defence Forces; or

(ii)contributed by members of the Defence Forces for their use; or

(b)wilfully destroys or damages public or private property,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.

161. Selling or pawning decorations

A person subject to military law who sells, pawns or otherwise disposes of any cross, medal, insignia or other decoration, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.

162. Unauthorised sale or wearing of uniforms, etc.

(1)Any person who, without authority—

(a)sells, offers or exposes for sale or wears or uses any uniform supplied to or authorised for use by any member of the Defence Forces;

(b)manufactures, sells, offers or exposes for sale, wears or uses any uniform so nearly resembling the uniform referred to in paragraph (a), as to be likely to deceive; or wears or uses any decoration supplied to or authorised for use by any member of the Defence Forces or any decoration so nearly resembling that decoration as to be likely to deceive,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.

(2)Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to any uniform or decoration for the purposes of any bona fide stage, film or television production or military representation.

(3)Any person who by act, words, conduct or otherwise, falsely represents himself or herself to be a person who is or has been entitled to wear or use any uniform or decoration referred to in subsection (1), commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years.

(4)In any prosecution for an offence under this section relating to any act done without due or lawful authority, it shall be presumed, until the contrary is proved, that the accused had no such authority.

(5)In this section, “uniform” means any article of wearing apparel and includes a badge, button, braid or insignia, whom in association with any particular item or items of clothing, and a tie.

163. Causing fire

Any person who wilfully or negligently or contrary to regulations made under this Act, orders or instructs or does any act or omits to do anything which causes or is likely to cause fire to occur in any establishment, works, or material for defence, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to life imprisonment.

Offences relating to process of law, arrests, service custody and military courts

164. Interfering with process of law

(1)A person subject to military law, who unlawfully interferes with the process of law as set out in this Act, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.

(2)For the purposes of this section, “unlawfully interferes with the process of law” means—

(a)knowingly withholding material evidence or information;

(b)fabricating or destroying evidence;

(c)interfering with a witness in the course of an investigation or proceedings of a case;

(d)unlawful release of a suspect in lawful custody or arrest or otherwise breaking the rules of security of prisoners as may be prescribed by the Defence Forces Council; or

(e)premature leaking of information about an investigation or any other interference that may jeopardise the investigation.

165. Negligent or wilful interference with custody

A person subject to military law, who—

(a)without authority, sets free or authorises or otherwise facilitates the setting free of any person in custody;

(b)negligently or wilfully allows to escape, any person who is committed to his or her charge or who it is his or her duty to guard or keep in custody; or

(c)assists any person in escaping or in attempting to escape from his or her custody,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.

166. Escape from custody

A person subject to military law who, being under arrest or confinement or in prison or otherwise in lawful custody, escapes, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

167. Obstruction of arresting officers

A person subject to military law, who—

(a)resists or wilfully obstructs an officer or a militant in the performance of any duty pertaining to the arrest, custody or confinement of any other person subject to military law; or

(b)when called upon, refuses or neglects to assist an arresting officer or militant in the performance of that duty,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term or exceeding five years.

168. Unlawful detention of person

A person subject to military law, who—

(a)unlawfully detains any other person in arrest or in confinement; or

(b)unnecessarily detains any other person without bringing him or her to trial, or fails to bring that other person’s case before the proper authority for investigation,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.

169. Offences in respect of military courts

(1)A person who—

(a)being duly summoned or ordered to attend as a witness before a military court, makes default in attending;

(b)refuses to take an oath or make a solemn affirmation lawfully required by a military court to be taken or made;

(c)refuses to produce any document in his or her power or control lawfully required by a military court to be produced by him or her;

(d)when a witness, refuses to answer any question to which a military court lawfully requires an answer;

(e)uses insulting or threatening language before or causes any interruption or disturbance in the proceedings of a military court;

(f)commits or omits to perform any act before a military court which if done or made before a civil court would constitute contempt of that court; or

(g)being an advocate, conducts himself or herself in the manner described in section 212(9),

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

(2)Where an offence under this section is committed at or in relation to a court martial, that court martial may, by an order signed by a member of that court, order that the offender shall undergo a term of imprisonment or detention for a period not exceeding thirty days.

(3)Where any order is issued under subsection (2), the offender shall not be liable to any other proceedings under military law in respect of the contempt in consequence of which the order is issued.

(4)For the purposes of this section, “military court” includes a board of inquiry or any other board established by law.

Miscellaneous offences

170. Disturbance in billets, etc.

Any person subject to military law who—

(a)misbehaves, by violence, extortion or making disturbances or otherwise in billets in which he or she or any other person is billeted or in any premises in which accommodation for material of the Defence Forces has been provided; or

(b)fails to comply with regulations made under this Act in respect of payment of the just demands of the person on whom he or she or any officer or militant under his or her command is, or has been billeted or the occupant of premises on which such material is or has been accommodated,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.

171. Offences in relation to documents

Any person who—

(a)wilfully or negligently makes a false statement or entry in a document made or signed by him or her that is required for the purposes of this Act or any regulations made under it, or who being aware of the falsity of a statement or entry in such a document, orders the making or signing of it;

(b)when signing a document required for such purposes leaves blank any material part for which his or her signature is a voucher; or

(c)with intent to injure any person or with intent to deceive, suppresses, defaces, alters or makes away with any document or file kept, made or issued for any such purpose,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.

172. Obstructing Defence Forces

Any person who wilfully obstructs or interferes with any part of the Defence Forces or any member of the Defence Forces in the proper performance of any military service or duty under this Act, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

173. Harbouring, aiding or inducing members of Defence Forces to dereliction of duty

(1)Any person who—

(a)assists or harbours any officer or militant who to his or her knowledge has committed an offence under this Act;

(b)induces or attempts to induce any officer or militant to neglect or to act in conflict with his or her military duty;

(c)is a party to, aids or abets or incites the commission of any act by which—

(i)any lawful order given to any officer or militant; or

(ii)any law relating to the Defence Forces with which it is the duty of any officer or militant to comply,

may be evaded or infringed;

(d)whether in propagating religious beliefs or otherwise, uses any language or does any act or thing with intent to recommend to, encourage, aid, incite, instigate, suggest to or otherwise cause any officer or militant of a regular force to refuse or fail to carry out any duties to which that officer or militant is or may become liable under this Act; or

(e)supplies or is a party to supplying any officer or militant with intoxicating liquor when that officer or militant is on military duty and prohibited by or under this Act from receiving or taking intoxicating liquor,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

(2)Notwithstanding subsection (1), liquor may at any mess or canteen which is conducted under the authority of a commander, be sold or supplied to any officer or militant whether of the force commanded by the commander or not.

174. Other fraudulent offences

A person subject to military law, who—

(a)connives at the exaction of an exorbitant price for property purchased or rented by a person supplying property or services to the Defence Forces;

(b)improperly demands or accepts compensation, consideration or personal advantage in respect of the performance of any military duty or in respect of any matter relating to the Defence Forces;

(c)receives directly or indirectly, whether personally or by or through any member of his or her family or a person under his or her control, or for his or her benefit, any gift, loan, promise, compensation or consideration either in money or otherwise, from any person, for assisting or favouring any person, in the transaction of any business relating to the Defence Forces or to any forces cooperating with the Defence Forces or to any mess, institute or canteen operated for the use and benefit of members of those forces;

(d)demands or accepts compensation, consideration or personal advantage for convoying a vessel entrusted to his or her care;

(e)being in command of a vessel or aircraft, takes or receives on board a person, goods or merchandise that he or she is not authorised to take or receive on board;

(f)unlawfully erects or places barriers in or across any road or street or on a path or in any public place within Uganda; or

(g)commits any act of a fraudulent nature not expressly specified in this Act,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.

175. Offences in relation to redress of wrongs

Any person subject to military law, who, when a complaint by a member of the Defence Forces has been made to him or her under section 99, or regulations made under this Act—

(a)unduly delays—

(i)in redressing the wrong complained of; or

(ii)in sending the complaint to higher authority in the prescribed maimer; or

(b)complains to higher authority when it is his or her duty to direct his or her complaint to his or her commanding officer or other authority,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year.

176. Conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline

(1)Any act, conduct, disorder or neglect to the prejudice of the good order and discipline of the Defence Forces shall be an offence.

(2)A person convicted of an offence under subsection (1) is liable to dismissal with disgrace from the Defence Forces.

(3)No person may be charged under this section with any offence for which special provision is made in any other provision of this Act.

(4)The conviction of a person charged under this section shall not be invalid by reason only of the charge being in contravention of subsection (3) unless it appears that an injustice has been done to the person charged by reason of the contravention; but the responsibility of any officer or militant for that contravention shall not be affected by the validity of the conviction.

(5)For the purposes of this section, an act or omission constituting a contravention by any person of—

(a)any regulations, orders or instructions published for the general information and guidance of the Defence Forces to which that person belongs, or to which he or she is attached or seconded; or

(b)any general, garrison, unit, station, standing, local or other orders,

shall be an act, conduct, disorder or neglect to the prejudice of the good order and discipline of the Defence Forces.

(6)Nothing in subsection (5) shall affect the general effect of subsections (1) and (2).

General

177. Service trial of civil offences

(1)Any person subject to military law, who does or omits to do an act—

(a)in Uganda, which constitutes an offence under the Penal Code Act or any other enactment;

(b)outside Uganda, which would constitute an offence under the Penal Code Act or any other enactment if it had taken place in Uganda,

commits a service offence and is liable, on conviction, to a punishment as prescribed in subsection (2).

(2)Where a military court convicts a person under subsection (1), the military court shall impose a penalty in accordance with the relevant enactment and may, in addition to that penalty, impose the penalty of dismissal with disgrace from the Defence Forces or any less punishment prescribed by this Act.

178. Conspiracy

Any person subject to military law who conspires with any other person, whether or not the other person is subject to military law, to commit a service offence, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

179. Conviction for related or less serious offences

(1)A person charged with desertion may be found guilty of attempting to desert or of being absent without leave.

(2)A person charged with attempting to desert may be found guilty of being absent without leave.

(3)A person charged with any of the offences specified in section 133 may be found guilty of any other offence specified in that section.

(4)A person charged with any of the offences specified in section 134 may be found guilty of any other offence specified in that section.

(5)A person charged with a service offence may, on failure of proof of an offence having been committed under circumstances involving a higher punishment, be found guilty of the same offence as having been committed under circumstances involving a lower punishment.

(6)Where a person is charged with an offence under section 176 and the charge is one upon which, if he or she had been tried by a civil court in Uganda for that offence, he or she might have been found guilty of any other offence, he or she may be found guilty of that other offence.

180. Ignorance no excuse

The fact that a person is ignorant of—

(a)any provision of this Act;

(b)any regulations made under this Act; or

(c)any order or instruction duly notified under this Act,

is no excuse for any offence.

181. Rules of civil courts applicable

All rules and principles followed in civil courts in criminal proceedings that would render any circumstances a justification or excuse for any act or omission or a defence to any charge, shall be applicable to any defence to a charge under this Act except where those rules and principles are altered by or are inconsistent with this Act.

182. Aiding and abetting commission of offence, etc.

(1)Any person subject to military law who—

(a)does or omits to do an act for the purpose of aiding any person to commit an offence;

(b)abets any person in the commission of an offence; or

(c)counsels or procures any person to commit an offence,

commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to the same punishment as the person who commits the actual offence.

(2)Every person who, having an intent to commit an offence, does or omits to do an act for the purpose of accomplishing his or her object, commits an attempt to commit the offence intended whether under the circumstances it was possible to commit such an offence or not and is, on conviction—

(a)if the attempt was to commit an offence where a person convicted of it is liable to the punishment of death or imprisonment for a term of fourteen years or upwards, liable, if no other punishment is provided, to imprisonment for a term of seven years; and

(b)in any other case, liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.

(3)When two or more persons form a common intention to prosecute an unlawful purpose in conjunction with one another, and in the prosecution of that purpose an offence is committed of such a nature that its commission was a probable consequence of the prosecution of the purpose, each of them is deemed to have committed the offence.

182A. Reporting of offences

The Minister, in consultation with the Defence Forces Council may, by regulations, prescribe the procedure for reporting offences committed by persons subject to military law.[section 182A added by section 31 of Act 8 of 2025]

Part VII – Arrests, searches and handling of persons arrested

183. Arrests generally

(1)A person who has committed, is found committing, is suspected of being about to commit, or is suspected of or charged under this Act with having committed a service offence, may be placed under arrest.

(2)For the avoidance of doubt, the ordinary arresting officer shall be the commanding officer of the unit to which the suspect belongs but in cases where it is impracticable for him or her to do so, any member of the Defence Forces may, without warrant, in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (1) conduct the arrest of a suspect of equal or lower rank.

(3)A member of the Defence Forces or the public may, without warrant, conduct the arrest of any member of the Defence Forces found committing or suspected of being about to commit a service offence.

(4)A soldier may, without warrant, conduct the arrest of a member of the Defence Forces of any rank who is wanted to answer charges in respect of any of the following offences—

(a)murder;

(b)treason;

(c)mutiny;

(d)rape;

(e)defilement;

(f)desertion;

(g)breaking concealment;

(h)careless shooting of a fellow soldier or civilian; or

(i)any other offence carrying the maximum death sentence.

(5)A person authorised to effect an arrest under this Act may use such force as is reasonably necessary for that purpose.

184. Search of members or premises

(1)Subject to this section, ifit appears to a member ofa court martial from information on oath that there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that there is with any officer or militant or upon or at any premises which are occupied by military personnel—

(a)stolen property or anything with respect to which any offence under this Act has been or is on reasonable grounds suspected to have been committed; or

(b)anything as to which there are reasonable grounds for believing—

(i)that it will afford evidence as to the commission of; or

(ii)that it is intended to be used for the purpose of committing any offence under this Act,

he or she may, in writing authorise the search by any officer or militant of such person or premises and the seizure of any such property or thing.

(2)An officer or militant authorised under subsection (1) to carry out any search or to seize any property or thing shall—

(a)be superior in rank to the officer or militant whose person is to be searched or in whose charge or control the premises are; and

(b)deliver safely to the commanding officer of the officer or militant referred to in paragraph (a) any property or thing seized.

(3)If an officer of the rank of Major or above believes on reasonable grounds that the delay in obtaining written authority under subsection (1) would defeat or prejudice the object of a search, the officer may, subject to subsection (2), authorise the search without the written authority.

(4)Any search carried out under this section shall be conducted in the presence of the officer or militant in whose charge or under whose control the premises which are being searched are, except that if—

(a)the delay in securing the presence of the officer or militant is likely to prejudice the object of the search; or

(b)having regard to the exigencies of military operations, his or her presence cannot be readily secured,

the search may be made in the absence of the officer or militant but in the presence of at least two other members of the Defence Forces.

(5)The authority of the officer or militant to search is limited to seizing those articles which he or she is lawfully authorised to seize.

(6)If the searching officer or militant seizes any other items which are not specified under subsection (5), the searching officer or militant may be protected only if he or she reasonably believed them to be included.

(7)In this section, “premises” includes any place, vehicle, vessel, aircraft or receptacle whether similar to the foregoing or not.

(8)This section is in addition to and not in derogation of section 159(3).

(9)This section does not apply to a member of the reserve forces unless that member has been mobilised under section 30.

185. Appointment and powers of specially appointed personnel

An officer or a militant appointed under regulations made for the purpose may—

(a)detain or arrest without a warrant any person who is subject to military law regardless of the rank or status of that person, who has committed, is found committing, is suspected of or charged under this Act with having committed a service offence; and

(b)exercise such other powers as may be prescribed for the enforcement of military law.

186. Handling of persons arrested

(1)A person effecting an arrest under this Act shall immediately commit the person arrested to civil custody or service custody or take the person to the unit or formation with which he or she is serving or to any other unit or formation of the Defence Forces and shall, at the time of the committal, or as soon as is practicable after that, but in any case not later than twenty-four hours, deliver to the officer or militant in whose custody that person is committed, a statement in writing, signed by himself or herself stating the nature of the offence the arrested person is alleged to have committed and the particulars of the offence.

(2)An officer or a militant commanding a guard, guardroom or safeguard or an officer or a militant appointed under section 185, shall receive a person committed to his or her custody and shall as soon as is practicable, and in any case within twenty-four hours, give in writing to the officer or militant to whom it is his or her duty to report, a statement—

(a)stating the name of the person committed to his or her custody;

(b)stating the particulars of the offence alleged to have been committed by that person so far as is known;

(c)stating the name and rank of the officer, militant or other person by whom the person so committed was placed in custody; and

(d)attaching the statement received under subsection (1).

(3)Copies of the statement made under subsection (2) shall be submitted to—

(a)the commanding officer of the unit of the detained person;

(b)the Service Chief of Military Intelligence and Security or his or her representative; and

(c)the Service Chief of Legal Services or his or her representative.

(4)If there is no statement received under subsection (1), the reporting officer or militant shall inform the officer or militant to whom it is his or her duty to report, of the following—

(a)the name of the committed person;

(b)the name of the committing officer or militant; and

(c)the date and time of committal,

and seek for advice as to whether or not he or she should continue to detain the person.

187. Irregular detention

(1)A person subject to military law who, when another person subject to military law is under arrest, fails to release or effect the release of that other person when it is his or her duty to do so, commits an offence.

(2)A person subject to military law who, having committed a person to the custody of any officer or militant, fails without reasonable cause to deliver—

(a)at the time of committing; or

(b)if it is not practicable so to do, at the time of the committal, then within twenty-four hours thereafter,

to the person to whose custody the person was committed, a statement in writing signed by himself or herself of the nature of the offence which the arrested person is alleged to have committed and the particulars of the offence, commits an offence.

(3)Where the arrested person is committed to the custody of a person subject to military law who is in command of a guard, guard room or safeguard, then if without reasonable cause that person does not as soon as is practicable and in any case not later than twenty-four hours after the committal, give to the person to whom it is his or her duty to report—

(a)a written statement containing so far as known to him or her, the name of the arrested person and the particulars of the alleged offence and the name and rank or other description of the person by whom the arrested person is alleged to have committed the offence; and

(b)if he or she has received it, the statement required by section 186(1),

commits an offence.

(4)A person who commits an offence under this section is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.

188. Report of delay of trial

(1)Where a person triable under military law has been placed under arrest for a service offence and remains in custody for forty-eight hours without his or her trial by a military court having commenced, his or her commanding officer shall make a report to the Service Chief of Personnel and Administration and the Service Chief Political Commissar stating the reasons for delaying the trial and shall release the prisoner on conditional bond after seventy-two hours.

(2)A person held in custody in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (1) who has been continuously so held for twenty-eight days without commencement of his or her trial by a military court, may, at the expiration of that period, petition the President or such other authority as the President may appoint in writing for that purpose, to be released from custody or for the disposal of the case.

(3)A person held in custody in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (1) shall be freed by his or her commanding officer when a period of ninety days continuous custody from the time of arrest has expired unless his or her trial by a military court has commenced.

(4)A person who has been freed from custody under subsections (2) and (3), shall not be subject to re-arrest for the offence for which he or she was originally arrested, except on the written order of the Chief of Defence Forces.

(5)Where the President orders a person’s release, that person shall not be subject to re-arrest for the offence for which he or she was originally arrested.

(6)The conditional bond under subsections (1) and (3) shall not apply in the case of a person held in custody for the purpose of trial for an offence punishable with death or a term of imprisonment exceeding five years.

Part VIII – Military courts

Summary trial authority

189. ***

[section 189 repealed by section 32 of Act 8 of 2025]

190. ***

[section 190 repealed by section 33 of Act 8 of 2025]

191. ***

[section 191 repealed by section 34 of Act 8 of 2025]

Unit disciplinary committees and courts martial

192. Unit Court Martial

(1)There shall be a Unit Court Martial for each unit of the Defence Forces which shall consist of any three of the following persons, including the Chairperson—

(a)a Chairperson, who shall not be below the rank of Captain;

(b)the administrative officer of the unit;

(c)the political commissar of the unit;

(d)the Regiment Sergeant Major or Company Sergeant Major of the unit;

(e)one junior officer; and

(f)one private.

(2)The Chairperson of the Unit Court Martial shall hold a Bachelor of Laws degree and a post graduate diploma in legal practice.

(3)The Chairperson of a Unit Court Martial shall be appointed by the Commander-in-Chief, in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission, from a list of persons approved by the High Command.

(4)The members of a Unit Court Martial shall be serving members of the Defence Forces.

(5)The Chairperson of a Unit Court Martial shall, for every trial, constitute a panel of three members of the Unit Court Martial appointed under subsection (1), consisting of the Chairperson and any two members.

(6)The two members of the panel referred to in subsection (5) shall be—

(a)one member from the persons specified in subsection (1)(b) or (c); and

(b)one member from the persons specified in subsection (1)(d), (e) or (f).

(7)A panel constituted under subsection (6) shall hear and conclude the trial for which it was constituted.

(8)A Unit Court Martial may have as many panels as the number of members allows.

(9)A Unit Court Martial shall have the power to try any offence under this Act or any other written law, in respect of which the penalty does not exceed a maximum sentence of five years.

(10)The Chairperson and other members of a Unit Court Martial shall serve for a term of five years and are eligible for reappointment.

(11)The decision of a Unit Court Martial on matters of—

(a)law and procedure, shall be determined by the Chairperson; and

(b)facts, shall be determined by majority members.

(12)A person aggrieved by the decision of a Unit Court Martial may appeal to a Division Court Martial.

(13)The Court of Appeal shall be the final court for appeals arising from the decisions of a Unit Court Martial.

[section 192 substituted by section 35 of Act 8 of 2025]

193. Division Court Martial

(1)There shall be, in each Division of the Defence Forces, a Division Court Martial which shall consist of any three of the following persons, including the Chairperson—

(a)a Chairperson, who shall not be below the rank of Lieutenant Colonel;

(b)two senior officers;

(c)two junior officers;

(d)a political commissar; and

(e)one non-commissioned officer.

(2)The Chairperson of a Division Court Martial shall be a person qualified to be appointed a judge of the High Court.

(3)The Chairperson of a Division Court Martial shall be appointed by the Commander-in-Chief, in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission, from a list of persons approved by the High Command.

(4)The Chairperson and other members of a Division Court Martial shall serve for a term of five years and are eligible for reappointment.

(5)The members of a Division Court Martial shall be serving members of the Defence Forces.

(6)The Chairperson shall, for every trial, constitute a panel of three members of the Division Court Martial appointed under subsection (1) consisting of the chairperson and two other members.

(7)The two members of the panel referred to in subsection (6) shall be—

(a)a member from the persons specified in subsection (1)(b) or (c); and

(b)one member from the persons specified in subsection (1)(d) or (e).

(8)A panel constituted under subsection (7) shall hear and conclude the trial for which it was constituted.

(9)A Division Court Martial may have as many panels as the number of members allows.

(10)The decision of a Division Court Martial on matters of—

(a)law and procedure, shall be determined by the Chairperson; and

(b)facts, shall be determined by majority members.

(11)A Division Court Martial shall have the power to try any offence under this Act, or under any other written law, other than an offence in respect of which the maximum penalty is death.

(12)A person aggrieved by the decision of a Division Court Martial may appeal to the General Court Martial.

[section 193 substituted by section 36 of Act 8 of 2025]

194. ***

[section 194 repealed by section 37 of Act 8 of 2025]

195. General Court Martial

(1)There shall be a General Court Martial for the Defence Forces, which shall consist of—

(a)the Head of the General Court Martial, who shall be a person qualified to be appointed a judge of the High Court and who shall not be below the rank of Brigadier General;

(b)two members, who shall be advocates of the High Court, not below the rank of Colonel;

(c)two senior officers, who shall be advocates of the High Court; and

(d)such other number of advocates as may be determined by the High Command.

(2)The members of the General Court Martial shall be appointed by the Commander-in-Chief, acting on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, from a list of persons approved by the High Command.

(3)The members of the General Court Martial shall be serving members of the Defence Forces.

(4)The members of the General Court Martial shall serve for a term of five years and are eligible for reappointment.

(5)The General Court Martial shall—

(a)have unlimited original jurisdiction to try any offence under this Act and under any other written law committed by a person subject to military law;

(b)hear and determine all appeals referred to it from the decisions of Division Courts Martial.

(6)The quorum of the General Court Martial, when considering an appeal, shall be three members, including the Head of the General Court Martial.

(7)The General Court Martial shall, when considering any other case, sit as a panel of three members appointed by the Head of the General Court Martial.

(8)The Head of the General Court Martial shall preside at every sitting of the General Court Martial and, where he or she is not a member of the panel, the most senior member of the panel as constituted shall preside.

(9)The General Court Martial may have as many panels as the number of members allows.

(10)The decisions of the General Court Martial shall be determined by a majority of the members.

(11)A person aggrieved by a decision of the General Court Martial may appeal to the Court of Appeal.

(12)Where a sentence of death is imposed by the General Court Martial, the sentence shall be subject to confirmation by the Supreme Court.

(13)The General Court Martial may sit at any place.

[section 195 substituted by section 38 of Act 8 of 2025]

196. ***

[section 196 repealed by section 39 of Act 8 of 2025]

197. ***

[section 197 repealed by section 40 of Act 8 of 2025]

198. ***

[section 198 repealed by section 41 of Act 8 of 2025]

199. Decisions of courts martial

[heading amended by section 42(a) of Act 8 of 2025]

(1)The verdict of a court martial shall be by majority opinion and when a decision is reached in that manner, the decision shall be binding on all members of the court concerned.[subsection (1) amended by section 42(b) of Act 8 of 2025]

(2)It shall be an offence for any member who takes part in the proceedings of a court martial to later disassociate himself or herself from some decision of that court and anybody found guilty of that offence shall be dismissed from the court by the High Command.[subsection (2) amended by section 42(b) of Act 8 of 2025]

200. Staff of court

There shall be at any proceedings of a court martial the following officers appointed by the High Command or any other authority as may be authorised in that behalf by the High Command—

(a)a secretary who shall record all the proceedings of the court;

(b)[paragraph (b) repealed by section 43(b) of Act 8 of 2025]

(c)a prosecutor.

[section 200 amended by section 43(a) of Act 8 of 2025]

201. ***

[section 201 repealed by section 44 of Act 8 of 2025]

202. Jurisdiction of civil court

Nothing in this Act shall affect the jurisdiction of any civil court to try a person for an offence triable by that court.

202A. Judicial oath

A member of a court martial shall, in addition to the oaths prescribed in section 52, take the judicial oath prescribed in Schedule 6A to this Act.[section 202A added by section 45 of Act 8 of 2025]

202B. Directorate of Military Prosecutions

(1)There is established a Directorate of Military Prosecutions of the Defence Forces which shall be headed by a Director of Prosecutions appointed by the Commander-in-Chief.

(2)A person shall not be appointed a Director of Military Prosecutions unless the person is—

(a)a serving member of the Defence Forces not below the rank of a Colonel; and

(b)qualified to be appointed a judge of the High Court.

(3)A person appointed a Director of Military Prosecutions shall—

(a)have power to direct the investigation of any information or allegation of criminal conduct for purposes of prosecution;

(b)institute criminal proceedings in a court martial against any person subject to military law;

(c)have power to discontinue at any stage before judgment is delivered, any criminal proceedings preferred under this Act; and

(d)prosecute appeals from decisions of a court martial to a civilian court.

(4)The Commander-in-Chief shall, in consultation with the High Command, appoint persons qualified to practice law as military prosecutors.

[section 202B added by section 45 of Act 8 of 2025]

202C. Independence of court martial

The members of the courts martial shall, in the performance of their judicial functions, be independent and impartial and shall not be subject to command.[section 202C added by section 45 of Act 8 of 2025]

202D. Establishment of disciplinary committee for Judicial Officers

(1)The High Command shall, in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission, establish a disciplinary committee within the Defence Forces consisting of—

(a)a Chairperson, who shall be a person qualified to be appointed a judge of the High Court; and

(b)two other members who shall be advocates of the High Court.

(2)The Disciplinary Committee established under subsection (1) shall be responsible for the discipline of the members of a military court.

(3)A member of a military court who commits an offence under this Act or any other written law, shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts martial.

[section 202D added by section 45 of Act 8 of 2025]

Part IX – Trials

203. ***

[section 203 repealed by section 46 of Act 8 of 2025]

204. ***

[section 204 repealed by section 47 of Act 8 of 2025]

205. ***

[section 205 repealed by section 48 of Act 8 of 2025]

206. ***

[section 206 repealed by section 49 of Act 8 of 2025]

207. Principles of civil court to be observed generally

Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Act and any regulations made under this Act, the rules of evidence and procedure to be observed in proceedings before court martial shall, as far as is practicable, be the same as those observed in proceedings before a civil court.[section 207 amended by section 50 of Act 8 of 2025]

208. No limitation on jurisdiction

A person alleged to have committed a service offence may be charged, dealt with and tried under military law whether the alleged offence was committed in Uganda or out of Uganda.

209. Place of trial

Every person alleged to have committed a service offence may be charged, dealt with and tried under this Act either in Uganda or out of Uganda.

210. Trials to be public

(1)Subject to subsections (2) and (3), military courts shall be public and, to the extent that accommodation permits, the public shall be admitted to the trial.

(2)Where a military court considers that it is expedient in the interest of public safety, defence or public morals that the public should be excluded during the whole or any part of a trial, the court may make an order to that eff ect, and any such order shall be recorded in the record of the proceedings of the military court.

(3)A witness shall not be admitted to a trial until he or she is called upon to give evidence or by specific leave of the military court and the court may at any time require the witness to withdraw after having given his or her evidence.

211. View by military court

A military court may, where it considers it necessary, view any place, thing or person.

212. Witnesses and advocates at military courts

(1)The commanding officer or officer commanding of the accused person and a military court shall take all necessary action to procure the attendance of the witnesses whom the prosecutor or the accused person or both request to be called and whose attendance can, having regard to the exigencies of the service, reasonably be procured.

(2)Nothing in subsection (1) shall require the procurement of the attendance of any witnesses, the request for whose attendance is deemed by the commanding officer, officer commanding or the military court, to be frivolous or vexatious.

(3)Where a request by the accused person for the attendance of a witness is deemed to be frivolous or vexatious, the attendance of that witness, if his or her attendance, having regard to the exigencies of the service, can reasonably be procured, shall be procured if the accused person pays in advance the fees and expenses of the witness at the rates prescribed in regulations made under this Act.

(4)If at the trial, the evidence of the witness proves to be relevant and material, the military court shall order the accused person to be reimbursed in the amount of the fees and expenses of the witness paid under subsection (3).

(5)Nothing in this section limits the right of the accused person to procure and produce at the trial at his or her own expense such witnesses as he or she may desire.

(6)Every person required to give evidence before a military court shall be summoned by a summons signed by a member of the court martial.[subsection (6) substituted by section 51(a) of Act 8 of 2025]

(7)A person summoned under subsection (6) may be required to bring with him or her and produce at a military court any documents or thing in his or her possession or under his or her control relating to the matters in issue before the military court.

(8)A witness summoned or attending to give evidence before a military court shall be paid such witness fees and allowances for expenses of attendance as are prescribed by regulations made under this Act.

(9)Any conduct of an advocate before a court martial that would be liable to censure or be contempt of court if it took place before a civil court is likewise liable to censure or is contempt of court in the case of a court martial; and the provisions governing the procedure of courts martial are binding upon an advocate appearing before a court martial; and wilful disobedience of the provisions shall, if persevered in, be deemed to be contempt of court punishable in accordance with section 169.[subsection (9) amended by section 51(b) of Act 8 of 2025]

(10)Upon receipt of a certificate signed by a member of a court martial that a witness has not appeared before a military court in obedience to a summons issued under this section, a civil court shall, on proof of proper service of the summons at a reasonable time before, issue a warrant to bring the witness before the civil court at a time and place specified in the warrant.[subsection (10) substituted by section 51(c) of Act 8 of 2025]

(11)When a witness is arrested under a warrant issued under subsection (10), the civil court may, on his or her furnishing security by recognisance to the satisfaction of the civil court for his or her appearing before the military court at the hearing of the case, order him or her to be released from custody, or shall, on his or her failure to furnish the security, order him or her to be detained for production at the hearing.

(12)Without prejudice to any of the foregoing provisions of this section, any person in contempt of a military court may be removed from the court by order signed by a member of the court.[subsection 12 substituted by section 51(d) of Act 8 of 2025]

213. Provisions where accused found insane

(1)Where, on the trial of an accused person by a military court, it appears to the court that the accused person is by reason of insanity unfit to stand his or her trial, the court shall so find, and if the finding is confirmed in accordance with the following provisions, the accused person shall be kept in custody in such manner as may be provided by or under rules made under this section until the directions of the Minister are known or until any earlier time at which the accused is fit to stand his or her trial.

(2)Where on the trial of a person by a military court, it appears to the court that the evidence is such as, apart from any question of insanity, to support a finding that the accused was guilty of any offence, but that at the time of the acts or omissions constituting that offence the accused was insane so as not to be responsible for his or her actions in accordance with the Penal Code Act, the court shall find that the accused was guilty of that offence but was insane at that time and the accused shall then be kept in custody in such a manner as may be provided by or under rules or orders made or given under this section until the directions of the Minister are known.

(3)In the case of a finding under subsection (2), the Minister may make rules and give orders for the safe custody of the accused in a place and in a manner as the Minister thinks fit.

(4)In the discharge of his or her functions under this section, the Minister shall consult the Minister responsible for justice.

214. Autrefois acquit and autrefois convict

(1)A person, in respect of whom a charge of having committed a service offence has been dismissed, or who has been found guilty or not guilty either by a military court or civil court on a charge of having committed any offence, shall not be tried again by any court in respect of that offence or any other offence of which he or she might have been found guilty on that charge.

(2)Nothing in subsection (1) shall affect the validity of a new trial ordered under section 234 or 238.

215. Proceedings to be deemed judicial proceedings

Any proceedings under this Act either before a military court, or before a board of inquiry where evidence is required to be given on oath or on making a solemn affirmation, shall be deemed to be judicial proceedings for the purposes of Chapter X of the Penal Code Act providing for offences relating to the administration of justice.

216. Orders of court

(1)After the conviction or acquittal of a person, a military court may make any order that may be made by a civil court in exercise of its criminal jurisdiction.

(2)A court martial may enforce an order made under subsection (1) in the same way and manner as civil courts enforce an order made by a civil court in exercise of its criminal jurisdiction.[subsection (2) amended by section 52 of Act 8 of 2025]

217. Bail

A military court may grant bail to a person charged with a service offence on the same considerations that govern the grant of bail in civil courts.[section 217 amended by section 53 of Act 8 of 2025]

218. ***

[section 218 repealed by section 54 of Act 8 of 2025]

Part X – Punishments

219. Scale of punishments

(1)The following punishments may be imposed in respect of service offences—

(a)death;

(b)imprisonment for two years or more;

(c)dismissal with disgrace from the Defence Forces;

(d)imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years;

(e)dismissal from the Defence Forces;

(f)detention;

(g)reduction in rank;

(h)communal labour;

(i)forfeiture of seniority;

(j)suspension;

(k)severe reprimand;

(l)reprimand;

(m)caution;

(n)fine;

(o)stoppages; and

(p)such other minor punishments as may be prescribed.

(2)Each punishment specified in subsection (1) shall be deemed to be a punishment less than any other punishment preceding it in that subsection.

(3)Except where a mandatory sentence is prescribed under this Act, a military court may impose a less penalty in accordance with the scale of punishments in this section.

(4)The punishment of imprisonment shall be subject to the following conditions—

(a)every person who on conviction for a service offence is liable to life imprisonment or imprisonment for a term of years may be sentenced to imprisonment for a shorter term; and

(b)a sentence of imprisonment for two years or more imposed upon any person subject to military law, shall be deemed to include dismissal with disgrace from the Defence Forces, whether or not the last mentioned punishment is passed by the court martial.[paragraph (b) amended by section 55 of Act 8 of 2025]

(5)Where a court martial imposes a punishment of dismissal with disgrace from the Defence Forces upon an officer or a militant, the court may, in addition, notwithstanding any other provision of this Part, impose a punishment of imprisonment not exceeding two years.[subsection (5) amended by section 55 of Act 8 of 2025]

(6)A person upon whom a punishment of dismissal with disgrace from the Defence Forces has been carried out shall not, except in an emergency or unless that punishment is subsequently set aside or altered, be eligible to serve Uganda again in any military capacity.

(7)The punishment of detention shall be subject to the following conditions—

(a)detention shall not exceed two years and a person sentenced to detention shall not be subject to detention for more than two years consecutively by reason of more than one conviction; and

(b)in the case of a warrant officer or non-commissioned officer in the Defence Forces, a sentence that includes a punishment of detention shall be deemed to include a punishment of reduction in rank to a rank which under regulations he or she can be reduced to.

(8)The punishment of reduction in rank shall apply to officers, warrant officers and non-commissioned officers.

(9)The punishment of reduction in rank shall—

(a)not involve reduction to a rank lower than that to which under regulations the offender can be reduced; and

(b)in the case of an officer—

(i)not involve reduction to a rank lower than second lieutenant; and

(ii)be subject to confirmation by the High Command.

(10)Where an officer or a militant has been sentenced to forfeiture of seniority, the military court imposing the punishment shall, in passing sentence, specify the period for which seniority is to be forfeited.

(11)A fine shall be imposed in a stated amount and shall not exceed four months’ pay and the terms of payment of a fine may be determined by the court imposing the fine.

(12)Stoppages shall be effected in the manner prescribed in regulations made under this Act.

(13)Where a person is under a sentence imposed by a court martial which includes a punishment involving imprisonment and he or she is subsequently convicted and sentenced to another term of imprisonment, both terms of imprisonment shall, from the date of the pronouncement of the new sentence, run concurrently, but the punishment higher in the scale of punishments shall be served first.[subsection 13 amended by section 55 of Act 8 of 2025]

(14)A court martial shall, in sentencing a civilian convicted of an offence under this Act, pass such sentence in the scale of punishments with such modifications as the court may deem appropriate in the circumstances.[subsection (14) amended by section 55 of Act 8 of 2025]

Part XI – Post trial matters

220. Committal

(1)Where a punishment of imprisonment is to be put into execution, the service prisoner shall as soon as practicable, be committed to a civil prison, to undergo his or her punishment according to law.

(2)Where a punishment of detention is to be put into execution, the service detainee shall, as soon as practicable, be committed to a military detention barracks or such other place as the court may direct, to undergo his or her punishment.

221. Temporary removal from incarceration

A service prisoner or a service detainee may, by an order made by a military court, be removed temporarily from the place to which he or she has been committed for such a period as may be specified in that order but, until his or her return to that place, he or she shall be retained in service custody or civil custody, as the occasion may require; and no further committal order is necessary upon his or her return to that place.

222. Rules of civil prisons to apply

While a service prisoner is undergoing punishment in a civil prison, he or she shall be dealt with in the same manner as other prisoners in the place where he or she is undergoing punishment and all the rules applicable in respect of a person sentenced by a civil court to imprisonment including the rules for remission for good conduct shall, insofar as circumstances permit, apply accordingly.

223. Validity and correction of committal documents

(1)The custody of a service prisoner or service detainee is not illegal by reason only of informality or error in or in respect of a document containing a warrant, order or direction issued under this Act, or by reason only that that document deviates from the prescribed form.

(2)Any document referred to in subsection (1) may be amended appropriately at any time by the authority that issued the document in the first instance or by any other authority empowered to issue documents of that nature; and no action shall lie in respect of anything done by any person in pursuance of a service sentence of imprisonment or detention under that document.

224. Execution of warrants

Every superintendent or other person in charge of a civil prison shall take cognisance of any warrant of committal purporting to be signed by a member of a court martial and shall receive and detain, and in the case of a sentence of death, carry out the sentence, according to the terms of that warrant and this Act, and shall confine the offender until discharged or delivered in due course of law.[section 224 amended by section 56 of Act 8 of 2025]

Part XII – Appeals

225. Grounds of appeal

A party to proceedings of a court martial who is dissatisfied with a decision of the court martial shall have the right to appeal to an appellate court on any matter of law, fact or mixed law and fact.[section 225 substituted by section 57 of Act 8 of 2025]

226. Advice as to right of appeal

(1)The court martial shall, at the conclusion of the trial, inform the parties to its proceedings as to their right of appeal.[subsection (1) amended by section 58 of Act 8 of 2025]

(2)Where a party mentioned in subsection (1) has presented the notice of appeal provided for in section 227, a copy of the record of the proceedings of the court martial in respect of whose decision the appeal is to be made, shall be delivered to that party as soon as practicable after the presentation of the notice of appeal.[subsection (2) amended by section 58 of Act 8 of 2025]

227. Form of appeal

(1)Every appeal shall be in the form of a notice of appeal followed by a memorandum of appeal.

(2)A notice of appeal shall be lodged with the registrar within such period after the delivery by a court martial of the decision in respect of which the appeal is lodged as shall be prescribed.[subsection (2) amended by section 59(a) of Act 8 of 2025]

(3)A memorandum of appeal shall be lodged with the registrar within such period after the appellant has been availed a copy of the record of the proceedings of the court martial against whose decision the appeal is lodged as shall be prescribed by the Minister by regulations.[subsection (3) amended by section 59(a) and (b) of Act 8 of 2025]

(4)A memorandum of appeal shall specify the grounds of appeal.

(5)The appellate court may, for good cause shown, on an application made for the purpose, extend the period referred to in subsection (2).

228. Appellant in prison

Where an appellant is in prison, he or she may present his or her notice of appeal or memorandum of appeal to the officer in charge of the prison and the officer in charge shall immediately forward the notice of appeal or memorandum of appeal to the registrar of the appellate court.

229. Bail pending appeal

(1)In exceptional circumstances, and on such conditions as it may impose, an appellate court may grant bail pending appeal to an applicant.

(2)For the purposes of subsection (1), “appellate court” means—

(a)in the case of a decision of a Unit Court Martial, the Division Court Martial;

(b)in the case of a decision of a Division Court Martial, the General Court Martial;

(c)in the case of a decision of the General Court Martial, the Court of Appeal; and

(d)in the case of a decision of the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court.

[section 229 substituted by section 60 of Act 8 of 2025]

230. Notice of hearing

(1)The registrar shall cause notice to be given to the appellant and to the respondent of the time and place at which an appeal will be heard, and shall furnish the respondent with a copy of the notice of appeal and memorandum of appeal, and of the record of the proceedings of the court martial in respect of which the appeal has been lodged.[subsection (1) amended by section 61 of Act 8 of 2025]

(2)At the hearing of an appeal, the appellate court shall hear the appellant and the respondent or their advocates.

231. Supplementary powers of the appellate court

(1)For the purposes of this section, the appellate court may, if it deems it necessary or expedient in the interest of justice, order the production of any documents, exhibits or other thing connected with the proceedings, the production of which appears to the appellate court necessary for the determination of the appeal, and may issue any warrants necessary for enforcing the orders or sentences of the court.

(2)Where the appellate court considers that additional evidence is necessary, it may record its reasons for doing so and may take such evidence itself.

(3)The appellant shall be present when additional evidence is taken under this section.

(4)Evidence taken under this section shall be taken as if it were evidence at the trial before the court martial from whose decision the appeal arose.[subsection (4) amended by section 62 of Act 8 of 2025]

(5)Where the appellate court deems it necessary so to do in dealing with an appeal, it may call for and receive from the court martial a report on any matter connected with the appeal.[subsection (5) amended by section 62 of Act 8 of 2025]

232. Non-compliance

(1)Non-compliance, with this Act or regulations made under this Act, by an appellant shall not prevent further prosecution of his or her appeal, unless the appellate court otherwise directs.

(2)The registrar shall immediately notify the appellant of any directions given by the appellate court under this section if the appellant was not present at the time when the directions were given.

233. Disallowing appeal

(1)Notwithstanding anything in this Part, the appellate court may disallow an appeal if, in the opinion of the court expressed in writing, there has been no substantial miscarriage of justice.[subsection (1) previously unnumbered, numbered by section 63 of Act 8 of 2025]

(2)Where an appeal against conviction or sentence is upheld by the General Court Martial, the appellant shall have a right of further appeal to the Court of Appeal.[subsection (2) added by section 63 of Act 8 of 2025]

234. Setting aside finding, etc.

(1)Upon the hearing of an appeal in respect of the legality or propriety of a finding on any charge, the appellate court may—

(a)set aside a finding of guilty and direct a finding of not guilty to be recorded in respect of that charge;

(b)set aside a finding of not guilty and direct a finding of guilty to be recorded in respect of that charge; or

(c)direct a new trial on that charge, in which case the appellant or the respondent, as the case may be, shall be tried again as if no trial on that charge had been held.

(2)Where the appellate court has set aside a finding of guilty and no other finding of guilty remains, the whole sentence shall cease to have force and effect.

(3)Where the appellate court has set aside a finding of not guilty and recorded a finding of guilty and there is no other existing finding of guilty, the appellate court may—

(a)impose such punishment as it considers appropriate; or

(b)refer the case back to the court martial which tried the case for sentencing.

(4)Where the appellate court has set aside a finding of guilty and another finding of guilty remains, the appellate court shall—

(a)affirm the punishment imposed by the court martial if the court martial could legally have imposed that punishment upon the finding of guilty that remains; or

(b)subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, substitute for the punishment imposed by the court martial, such new punishment as the appellate court considers appropriate.

(5)Where the appellate court has set aside a finding of not guilty and recorded a finding of guilty and there is existing another finding of guilty, the appellate court shall—

(a)affirm the punishment imposed by the court martial if it is satisfied of the legality and degree of the sentence; or

(b)subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, substitute for the punishment imposed by the court martial such new punishment as the appellate court considers appropriate.

(6)Where, on an appeal, the appellate court is satisfied that the court martial—

(a)could, on the charge, have found the accused guilty under section 180 of some other offence; or

(b)could have found him or her guilty of some other offence on any alternative charge that was laid, and on the actual finding it appears to the appellate court that the facts proved him or her guilty of that other offence,

the appellate court may, instead of allowing or dismissing the appeal, as the case may be, substitute for the finding of the court martial, a finding of guilty of that other offence.

(7)Where, under subsection (3), (4) or (5) a new punishment is substituted, the punishment imposed by the court martial shall then cease to have effect, and section 241 shall apply to the new punishment.

[section 234 amended by section 64 of Act 8 of 2025]

235. Punishments subject to mitigation

Where—

(a)a punishment has been imposed by the appellate court under section 234(3); or

(b)a punishment included in a sentence has been dealt with under section 234(4) or (5);

the punishment imposed or the new punishment, as the case may be, shall be subject to mitigation, commutation, remission or suspension in the same manner and to the same extent as if it had been passed by the court martial from whose decision the appeal arose.[section 235 amended by section 65 of Act 8 of 2025]

235A. Execution of sentence of death

Where a sentence of death is imposed by the General Court Martial, the sentence shall not be executed until the conviction and sentence have been confirmed by the Supreme Court.[section 235A inserted by section 66 of Act 8 of 2025]

236. Quashing findings of court martial

(1)The appellate court may quash any finding made by a court martial.

(2)Where, after a finding of guilty has been quashed, no other finding of guilty remains, the whole of the sentence passed by the court martial shall cease to have force and effect.

(3)Where after a finding of guilty has been quashed, another finding of guilty remains, and any punishment included in the punishment passed by the court martial is in excess of the punishment authorised by this Act in respect of the finding of guilty which remains, or is, in the opinion of the appellate court unduly severe, the appellate court shall, subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, substitute such new punishment as it considers appropriate.

(4)Where a finding of not guilty has been quashed under this section and a finding of guilty recorded, the court shall proceed as in section 234(3) or (5).

[section 236 amended by section 67 of Act 8 of 2025]

237. Substituting of findings for original findings of court martial

(1)The appellate court may—

(a)substitute a new finding for any finding of guilty made by a court martial, that is illegal or cannot be supported by the evidence if the new finding could validly have been made by the court martial on the charge and if it appears that the court martial was satisfied on the facts establishing the offence specified or involved in the new finding;

(b)substitute for the finding of guilty made by a court martial a new finding of guilty of some other offence if the court martial could, on the charge, have found the offender guilty—

(i)under section 178 of that other offence; or

(ii)of that other offence on any alternative charge that was laid, and it appears that the facts proved him or her guilty of that other offence.

(2)Where a new finding has been substituted for a finding made by a court martial and any punishment included in the sentence passed by the court martial is in excess of the punishment authorised by this Act in respect of the new finding or is, in the opinion of the appellate court unduly severe, the appellate court shall, subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, substitute such new punishment as it considers appropriate.

[section 237 amended by section 68 of Act 8 of 2025]

238. New trial

(1)Where, on an appeal, the appellate court considers that a new trial is advisable by reason of an irregularity in law in the proceedings before the court martial, it may set aside a finding whether of guilty or not guilty, and direct a new trial; and the accused shall be tried again for that offence as if no previous trial had been held.

(2)Where at a new trial held under this section a person is found guilty—

(a)if any new punishment includes a term of imprisonment, there shall be deducted from that term any time during which the offender had been imprisoned following the pronouncement of the previous sentence; and

(b)if any new punishment is in the same paragraph in the scale of punishments specified in section 219(1) as the punishment imposed by the court martial in the first instance, the new punishment shall not be in excess of the previous punishment.

(3)The appellate court may dispense with any new trial directed under this section or under section 234.

[section 238 amended by section 69 of Act 8 of 2025]

239. Substitution of punishments

Where a court martial has passed a sentence in which is included an illegal punishment, the appellate court may, subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, substitute for the illegal punishment such new punishment as it considers appropriate.[section 239 amended by section 70 of Act 8 of 2025]

240. Mitigation of punishments, etc.

The appellate court may, subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, mitigate, commute, remit or enhance any or all of the punishments included in a sentence passed by a court martial.[section 240 amended by section 71 of Act 8 of 2025]

241. Effect of new punishment

(1)Where under the authority of this Act, a new punishment, by reason of substitution, commutation or enhancement replaces a punishment imposed by a court martial, the new punishment shall have force and effect as if it had been imposed by the court martial in the first instance, and accordingly, this Act shall apply.[subsection (1) amended by section 72 of Act 8 of 2025]

(2)Where a new punishment involves imprisonment, the term of the new punishment shall be reckoned from the date of substitution, commutation or enhancement, as the case may be.

242. Non-derogation of powers

Nothing in the preceding provisions of this Part shall be in derogation of the powers conferred under this Act to quash findings or alter findings and sentences.

243. Saving of powers of President

Nothing in this Act shall be construed as restricting or regulating the exercise of the prerogative of mercy conferred on the President by Article 121 of the Constitution.

244. Rules of appeal procedure

(1)The court martial appeal court may, with the approval of the Minister, make rules not inconsistent with this Act in respect of the following with regard to proceedings of an appellate court—

(a)the practice and procedure to be observed at hearings;

(b)the conduct of appeals;

(c)the production of the record of the proceedings of any court martial in respect of which an appeal is made;[paragraph (c) amended by section 73 of Act 8 of 2025]

(d)the production of all other documents and records relating to an appeal;

(e)the extent to which new evidence may be introduced;

(f)the circumstances in which the appellant may attend or appear before the appellate court on the hearing of his or her appeal, but no such rules shall deprive an appellant of the right to be present on the hearing of his or her appeal from a sentence of death;

(g)provision for and payment of fees of counsel for an appellant other than the State; and

(h)the circumstances in which an appeal may be considered to be abandoned for want of prosecution, and the summary disposition by the appellate court of such appeals, and of appeals showing no substantial grounds.

(2)The rules made under this section shall be published in the Gazette.

Part XIII – Revision

245. Power of court to call for record and petitions

(1)The General Court Martial may call for and examine the record of any proceedings before a Court Martial for the purpose of satisfying itself as to the correctness, legality or propriety of any finding, sentence or order recorded or passed, and as to the regularity of any proceedings of any such Court Martial.

(2)The General Court Martial may exercise its powers under subsection (1) on its own motion or on a petition by any person aggrieved by any finding, sentence or order made or imposed by a Court Martial.

(3)No petition under this section shall be entertained if in case of the proceedings of—

(a)[paragraph (a) repealed by section 74(b) of Act 8 of 2025]

(b)a unit disciplinary committee, the petitioner could have appealed and has not appealed against any finding, sentence or order referred to in subsection (2).

[section 245 amended by section 74(a) of Act 8 of 2025]

246. Powers of court on revision

In or during the exercise of its powers under section 241(1), the General Court Martial—

(a)may exercise any of the powers conferred on the General Court Martial as an appellate court by this Act;

(b)may, pending the final determination of the case, release any convicted person on bail;

(c)may, if it thinks fit, call for and receive from the Unit Court Martial or Division Court Martial before which the case was heard, a report on any matter connected with the case;[paragraph (c) amended by section 75 of Act 8 of 2025]

(d)shall not make any order to the prejudice of an accused person unless he or she has had an opportunity to be heard in his or her own defence.

247. Discretion of court as to hearing of parties

(1)Except as provided in section 246(d), no party has any right to be heard before the General Court Martial when exercising its powers of revision.

(2)The General Court Martial may, if it thinks fit, when exercising its powers of revision, hear any party; and nothing in this section shall be deemed to affect section 246(d).

248. Court order to be certified to lower court

When a case is revised by the General Court Martial it shall certify its decision or order to the Unit Court Martial or Division Court Martial by which the finding, sentence or order so revised was recorded or passed; and the Unit Court Martial or Division Court Martial to which the decision or order is so certified shall then make such orders as are conformable to the decision or order so certified; and if necessary the record shall be amended in accordance with the order.[section 248 amended by section 76 of Act 8 of 2025]

Part XIIIA – Ceremonial decorations, service medals, awards, flags and accoutrements

[part XIIIA inserted by section 77 of Act 8 of 2025]

248A. Chief of Defence Forces to confer service medals

(1)The Chief of Defence Forces may, on the advice of the Defence Forces Service Medals Committee, confer a service medal on any officer, militant or military veteran and may suspend or revoke any service medal.

(2)The service medals to be conferred under this Act are prescribed in Schedule 12 to this Act.

(3)A service medal shall only be conferred upon a member of the Defence Forces or a military veteran with a good service record and who satisfies the eligibility criteria for the award of the medal.

[section 248A inserted by section 77 of Act 8 of 2025]

248B. Defence Forces Service Medals Committee

(1)There is established the Defence Forces Service Medals Committee.

(2)The Defence Forces Service Medals Committee shall be appointed by the Chief of Defence Forces and shall consist of—

(a)a chairperson;

(b)one representative from each Service of the Defence Forces;

(c)one representative from each of the following departments of the Defence Forces—

(i)Joint Staff, Political Commissariat;

(ii)Joint Staff, Human Resource Management;

(iii)Joint Staff, Legal Services;

(iv)Joint Staff, Operations;

(v)Department of Women Affairs; and

(vi)Directorate of Veterans Affairs.

[section 248B inserted by section 77 of Act 8 of 2025]

248C. Functions of Defence Forces Service Medals Committee

(1)The functions of the Defence Forces Service Medals Committee are—

(a)to advise the Chief of Defence Forces on the award of service medals;

(b)to develop policy guidelines for the award of service medals;

(c)to establish and maintain an archive for service medals;

(d)to render advice on the procurement and custody of service medals;

(e)to sensitise members of the Defence Forces on service medals;

(f)to organise ceremonies of investiture of service medals;

(g)to prepare and publish the Defence Forces Honours Lists;

(h)to determine code names for service medals; and

(i)to prepare citations for the award of service medals.

(2)The Defence Forces Service Medals Committee may decentralise the selection of candidates for the award of service medals in order to enhance participation and to get qualifying candidates.

[section 248C inserted by section 77 of Act 8 of 2025]

248D. Meetings of Defence Forces Service Medals Committee

(1)The meetings of the Defence Forces Service Medals Committee shall be convened by the Chairperson.

(2)The quorum at any meeting of the Defence Forces Service Medals Committee shall be seven members, including the Chairperson.

(3)The decisions of the Defence Forces Service Medals Committee shall be by a majority vote of all members present and voting and where there is a tie, the chairperson shall have a casting vote in addition to his or her deliberative vote.

(4)Subject to subsection (3), the Defence Forces Service Medals Committee shall determine its own rules of procedure, including the appointment of a person to act as its secretary from among themselves or any other member of the Defence Forces found suitable for appointment.

(5)The Defence Forces Service Medals Committee may co-opt any person with expert knowledge to attend meetings and guide the Committee in its deliberations.

[section 248D inserted by section 77 of Act 8 of 2025]

248E. Master of Ceremonies

(1)There shall be an officer called the Master of Ceremonies for the award of service medals.

(2)The Master of Ceremonies shall be a senior officer of the Defence Forces of or above the rank of Colonel, appointed by the Chief of Defence Forces.

(3)

(a)conduct ceremonies of investiture of service medals and ensure that they are conducted with due dignity as required;

(b)educate officers and militants awarded service medals on the use of insignia of service medals; and

(c)perform any other duty as may, from time to time, be assigned to him or her by the Defence Forces Service Medals Committee.

[section 248E inserted by section 77 of Act 8 of 2025]

248F. Revocation of service medals

(1)The Chief of Defence Forces may, on the advice of the Defence Forces Service Medals Committee, revoke a service medal awarded to an officer, militant or military veteran where—

(a)the medal was awarded to the wrong officer, militant or military veteran;

(b)the medal was awarded to an officer, militant or military veteran through fraud or undue influence; or

(c)an officer, militant or military veteran to whom a service medal was awarded—

(i)is convicted of an offence and is sentenced to death or to a term of imprisonment of more than five years; or

(ii)is convicted of an offence involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude.

(2)Where a service medal is revoked under this section, the officer, militant or military veteran to whom the medal was awarded shall, within thirty days after being notified of the revocation, return the medal to the Defence Forces Service Medals Committee.

(3)Any officer, militant or military veteran who contravenes subsection (2) commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding thirty currency points or a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both.

[section 248F inserted by section 77 of Act 8 of 2025]

248G. Wearing of service medal

The following categories of persons are authorised to wear service medals in public on the following apparel—

(a)a serving member of the Defence Forces; on the appropriate uniform;

(b)a military veteran who has been awarded a military service medal; on appropriate civilian dress;

(c)a civilian who is the next-of-kin of a deceased member of the Defence Forces; on appropriate civilian dress; and

(d)a civilian recipient; on appropriate dress.

[section 248G inserted by section 77 of Act 8 of 2025]

248H. Order of precedence

(1)The national honours and awards awarded under the National Honours and Awards Act shall take precedence over service medals awarded under this Act, and shall be followed by other decorations and medals presented to a member of the Defence Forces.

(2)A member of the Defence Forces shall not wear a decoration or a medal awarded by an institution other than the Defence Forces, a state, a Head of State or an international organisation.

[section 248H inserted by section 77 of Act 8 of 2025]

248I. Display of insignia

A unit of the Defence Forces may display on parade, prescribed flags, honours, awards and other insignia as directed by the Commander-in-Chief.[section 248I inserted by section 77 of Act 8 of 2025]

248J. Use of indicative letters of service medals

(1)An officer, a militant or military veteran to whom a service medal has been awarded shall use the indicative letters of the medal set out against the medal in Schedule 12 to this Act, against his or her name as indicated in the National Honours and Awards Act and as they appear in Schedule 12 to this Act.

(2)Where an officer, a militant or military veteran has more than one service medal, the use of their indicative letters after his or her name shall be in accordance with the order of precedence of award of the medals.

(3)Where an officer, a militant or military veteran has other medals, the use of their authorised indicative letters of service medals after his or her name shall be in accordance with the order of precedence prescribed in section 248H.

[section 248J inserted by section 77 of Act 8 of 2025]

248K. Management of military veterans

Military veterans shall be managed in accordance with the provisions of this Act relating to the management of the Reserve Force.[section 248K inserted by section 77 of Act 8 of 2025]

Part XIV – General

249. Expenses of military courts

The administrative expenses of military courts, including salaries, allowances, gratuities and pensions payable to or in respect of members of military courts martial shall be charged on the Consolidated Fund.[section 249 amended by section 78 of Act 8 of 2025]

250. Regulations

(1)The Minister may, by statutory instrument, after consultation with the Defence Forces Council, make such regulations as may be necessary or convenient for ensuring the discipline and good administration of the Defence Forces and generally for the better carrying out of the provisions of this Act.

(2)Without prejudice to the general effect of subsection (1), the Minister may make regulations under that subsection in respect of—

(a)such matters as are required under this Act to be prescribed or are authorised or required under this Act to be made by regulations;

(b)the disposal of any property for the Defence Forces and the application of the proceeds, if any, of the disposal;

(c)conditions of service in addition to those contained in this Act;

(d)the liability of officers and militants;

(e)the collection, administration and distribution of the service estates of officers and militants and the disposal of the personal effects of absented officers and militants;

(f)the prohibition or control of dangerous flying;

(g)the vaccination and inoculation of officers and militants and the provision of other immunisation procedures for the officers and militants;

(h)the control of the handling of dangerous substances by officers and militants;

(i)the conditions subject to which certain punishments may be imposed;

(j)the custody of officers and militants arrested or detained and the duties of the persons in whose charge those officers and militants have been placed;

(k)the date of the commencement of terms of detention under this Act and the periods to be left out or taken into account in the computation of those terms;

(l)the fees to be charged for any service performed by any person for the purposes of this Act;

(m)the arrest and custody of deserters and persons absent without leave and any matter connected with or incidental to such arrest and custody;

(n)the procedure to be observed in proceedings before military courts and the payment of remuneration to witnesses;

(o)the execution of officers and militants sentenced to death; and[paragraph (o) amended by section 79 of Act 8 of 2025]

(p)the procedure to be observed in the conduct of meetings under this Act.

(3)The regulations made under this Act shall be laid before Parliament within sixty days of their coming into force.

251. Orders and instructions

(1)The Chief of Defence Forces may issue orders and instructions not inconsistent with this Act or regulations made under this Act—

(a)in the discharge of his or her duties under this Act; or

(b)in explanation or implementation of the regulations.

(2)A commanding officer shall issue standing orders which shall include orders that are peculiar to his or her station or unit.

(3)An officer in temporary command of a station or unit shall not issue standing orders, nor alter those already in force, without reference to the officer in permanent command or to superior authority.

(4)A commanding officer when he or she is away from his or her station or unit, shall not issue standing orders.

(5)A commanding officer shall issue unit orders as required for the promulgation of information and direction to all officers and militants under his or her command.

(6)The form of unit orders shall be as the Chief of Defence Forces may prescribe.

(7)An officer or a militant shall normally be warned of all duties other than ordinary routine duties in unit orders.

(8)Unit orders shall be—

(a)posted in suitable places in the station or unit so that they may be available to officers and militants; and

(b)distributed as the Chief of Defence Forces may direct.

252. Power to amend Schedules

(1)The Minister may, by statutory instrument, with the approval of Cabinet, amend Schedules 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 to this Act.

(2)The Minister may, by statutory instrument, after consultation with the Defence Forces Council, amend Schedules 7, 7A, 7B, 9, 10, 11 and 12 to this Act.[subsection (2) amended by section 80 of Act 8 of 2025]

Schedule 1 (Sections 1, 252(1))

Currency point

A currency point is equivalent to twenty thousand shillings.

Schedule 2 (Sections 13(1)(b), 252(1))

Senior officers as at 26th January, 1986

1.Maj. General Mugisha Muntu

2.Maj. Gen. Joram Mugume

3.Maj. Gen. Ivan Koreta

4.Brig. Jim K. Muhwezi

5.Brig. Steven Kashaka

6.Col. Kahinda Otafiire

7.Col. Pecos Kutesa

8.Col. Julius Kihanda

9.Col. Peter Kerimu

10.Lt Col. Fred Mwesigye

11.Lt Col. Andrew Lutaaya

12.Lt Col. Gyagenda Kibirango

13.Lt Col. Ahmed Kashilingi

14.Lt Col. Samson Mande

15.Lt Col. Amin Izaruk

Schedule 3 (Sections 14(1)(c), 252(1))

Members of High Command as at 26th January 1986

1.(Rtd) Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni2.Lt Gen. Elly Tumwine3.Lt Gen. Salim Saleh Akandwanaho4.Lt Gen. David Tinyefuza5.Honorary Brig. Eriya Kategaya6.Brig. Rtd Matayo Kyaligonza

Schedule 4 (Sections 51(8), 252(1))

The Republic of Uganda

Statement of Commission

I ________________ President of the Republic of Uganda and Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces, by virtue of the authority entrusted to me by the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and the law governing the defence of Uganda, do hereby commission you to be (an) officer(s) of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces of the rank(s) of ________________ from this ________________ day of ________________Signed this ________________ day of ________________________________President.

Schedule 5 (Sections 52, 252(1))

The Republic of Uganda

Oath of Allegiance

I, ________________ swear by the almighty God/do solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm that I will be faithful to and bear true allegiance to the President and the Republic of Uganda and that I will, as in duty bound, honestly and faithfully defend him/her and the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda against all enemies, and I will observe and obey all lawful orders of the officers set over me. I promise to teach and uphold in all officers and militants that may from time to time be placed under my command good discipline, bravery and trust in the Country, so help me God.Signed this ________________ day of ________________________________Officer/Militant

Schedule 6 (Sections 52, 252(1))

The Republic of Uganda

Oath of Secrecy

I ________________ swear by almighty God/do solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm that I will at all times respect and uphold the secrecy of any information or material that comes into my possession by virtue of my being a member of or in association with the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces and I will in no way whatsoever divulge the same to any unauthorised person, so help me God.Signed this ________________ day of ________________________________Officer/Militant

Schedule 6A (Section 202A)

Judicial oath

[Schedule 6A inserted by section 82 of Act 8 of 2025]I, ____________________________, swear in the name of the Almighty God/solemnly affirm that I will well and truly exercise the judicial functions entrusted to me and will do right to all manner of people in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda as by law established and in accordance with the laws and usage of the Republic of Uganda without fear or favour, affection or ill will. (So, help me God.)

Schedule 7 (Sections 116, 252(2))

Code of conduct for Defence Forces

1.Helping members of publicA member of the Defence Forces shall—

(a)offer help to members of the public when he or she finds them engaged in productive work, if he or she has time;

(b)where possible, offer emergency medical treatment to members of the public who are in the territory of his or her unit;

(c)where possible, offer any other form of assistance to members of the public.

2.Relationship with publicA member of the Defence Forces shall not—

(a)abuse, insult, beat or in any way provoke any member of the public;

(b)steal any property or obtain goods by false pretences;

(c)take anything from a person without paying for it;

(d)retain anything he or she borrows from any member of the public;

(e)develop any illegitimate or irresponsible relationship that is contrary to public morality with any person;

(f)consume alcohol in a public drinking place while he or she is on duty or in uniform or in possession of a weapon;

(g)take drugs or be found in possession of drugs;

(h)kill any person who is not an enemy;

(i)trespass on any person’s property;

(j)make public statements to journalists without proper authorisation;

(k)attend diplomatic parties or deal with a foreign mission without proper authorisation; or

(l)give public speeches or broadcast public statements without permission from the appropriate authorities.

3.Higher and lower ranks of Defence ForcesThe lower ranks of the Defence Forces shall obey the higher ranks and the higher ranks shall respect the lower ranks.

4.Administration of unitsIn the administration of any unit of the Defence Forces, democratic centralism, participation and central control shall be followed and without limiting the generality of the foregoing methods, the following methods shall be used—

(a)holding regular meetings by which officers and militants can air their views and grievances;

(b)allowing open criticism of mistakes so as to avoid subterranean grumbling; and

(c)different mistakes or errors should be treated differently depending on their cause.

5.Tendencies injurious to cohesion of Defence ForcesThe following tendencies are injurious to the cohesion of the Defence Forces and are prohibited—

(a)quest for cheap popularity on the part of officers or militants by tolerating wrongs in order to be popular with soldiers;

(b)liberalism by which the person in authority knows what is right and what is wrong, but due to weak leadership, he or she does not stand firmly on the side of right;

(c)intrigue and double talk;

(d)tribalism, nepotism or any other form of sectarianism;

(e)formation of cliques in the Defence Forces; or

(f)any form of corruption.

6.Education in Defence Forces

(1)Political education shall be mandatory so that officers and militants can understand the reasons for the struggle as well as the dynamics of the world, taking into consideration the fact that conscious discipline is better than mechanical discipline.

(2)Every officer and militant shall strive to master military science in order to gain capability so that the Defence Forces are in a position to defend the people more effectively.

(3)All commanders shall ensure that all soldiers, depending on particular circumstances, shall at any one time, if not fighting, be studying military science, improving their academic work, taking part in recreationalactivities, engaged in productive work or resting so that there is no idleness which breeds mischief.

Schedule 7A (Section 117A)

Arms and ammunition which are the monopoly of the defence forces

[Schedule 7A inserted by section 83 of Act 8 of 2025]

1.Arms

(a)Pistols

(b)Avtomat Kalashnikov 1947 (AK-47)

(c)Pulemot Kalashnikov (PKM) Machine gun

(d)Model-16 (M16)

(e)Micro Galil

(f)Multiple Grenade Launcher (MGL)

(g)General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG)

(h)Light Machine Guns (LMG)

(i)Rocket Propelled Grenade-40 (RPG-40)

(j)Uzzi guns

(k)Gewehr3 Self Loading Rifle (G3/SLR)

(l)Semi-Automatic Rifle (SAR)

(m)60mm Mortar

(n)82mm Mortar

(o)82mm Recoillence Rifle (82mm RR)

(p)82mm Recoillence Rifle Ballistic (82mm RRB-10)

(q)12.7mm Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun (12.7mm AAMG)

(r)35mm Automatic Grenade Launcher (35mm AGL)

(s)40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher (40mm AGL)

(t)40mm Multiple Grenade Launchers (40mm MGL)

(u)40mm Rocket Propelled Grenade (40mm RPG)

(v)Hand Grenade

(w)Anti-Tank Grenade

(x)Anti-Personnel Grenade

(y)Smoke Grenades

(z)Offensive Grenade

(aa)Defensive Grenade

(bb)Landmines

(cc)Armed Drones

(dd)Anti-Tank Weapons

(ee)Explosives

(ff)Improvised Explosive Device (IED)

(gg)Royal Demolition Explosion (RDX)

(hh)Trinitrotoluene (TNT)

(ii)Plastic Explosive (PE-4)

(jj)Safety Fuses

(kk)Ammonium Nitrate

(ll)Water Gel Explosives

(mm)Aluminum Ignitors

(nn)Detonators

2.Ammunition

(a)7.62 x 25mm

(b)7.65mm

(d)9 x 19mm

(e)11.43 x 23mm (.45”)

(f)40mm (1.5”)

(g)9 x 19mm

(h)5.56 x 45mm

(i)7.62 x 51mm

(j)5.56 x 45mm

(k)7.62 x 39mm

(l)5.56 x 45mm

(m)7.62 x 39mm

(n)7.62 x 54mm

(o)12.7 x 99mm

(p)12.7 x 108mm

(q)35 x 32mm

(r)40 x 53mm

(s)40 x 46mm

(t)40 x 65mm

(u)60mm

(v)82mm

(w)37/38mm

(x)40 x 46mm

(y)48mm

(z)63mm

Schedule 7B (Section 117A)

Classified stores

[Schedule 7B inserted by section 83 of Act 8 of 2025]The classified stores of the Defence Forces include marks, accessories, insignia and uniforms.

A. Defence forces uniform

The Defence Forces uniform is categorised as follows—

1.Tunic uniform

2.Ceremonial uniform

3.Kaunda suit

4.Tuck-in uniform

5.DPM 95 with tuck-in shirt

6.Fatigue dress-plain army green

7.Plain army green for Reserves

8.Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) (combat)

9.MULTICAM combat uniform

10.Headgear

11.Footwear

1.Tunic uniform

(1)The tunic is a ceremonial dress uniform for the Defence Forces as described below—

(a)scarlet red tunic for Land Forces and Special Forces Command; and

(b)solid blue tunic for Air Force.

(2)The design details of the tunic uniform are as follows—

(a)the jacket has the following design features—

(i)stand collar;

(ii)shoulder straps;

(iii)button configuration and arrangement are the same across all tunics as shown in the red tunic in Picture 1;

(iv)cuff and back slash embellishments;

(v)waist seam and waist hooks;

(b)the patrol back design is as follows—

(i)two piece set-in sleeve and two-piece back skirt;

(ii)sewn with a lining;

(iii)collar, foreparts and back skirts edged with white piping;

(c)the trouser is black or solid blue in colour, khaki finish of the same material as tunic with golden stripes running down the seam of the trouser;

(d)the shirt is collarless white for the Defence Forces.

Picture 1

2.Ceremonial uniform

(1)The ceremonial uniform is a service dress for the Defence Forces and is worn in alternate to the tunic during ceremonies and other functions as shall be prescribed by the Chief of Defence Forces.

(2)The colours of the ceremonial uniform are as follows—

(a)the jacket and trouser is olive green for Land Forces, sky blue for Air Forces and coffee brown for Special Forces Command (SFC) as illustrated in Picture 2;

(b)the shirt is light olive green for Strategic and Land Forces, light blue for Air Forces and brown shirt for Special Forces Command;

(c)the ceremonial uniform neck-tie has a UPDF Logo for General officers and service logo for Colonels and below and the colours are green for Land Forces, blue for Air Forces and dark maroon for Special Force Command.

Picture 2

3.Kaunda suit

(1)Kaunda suit uniform is an office working dress for the Defence Forces as shown in Picture 3.

(2)The details of the Kaunda suit are as follows—

(a)the jacket is olive green for Land Forces, sky blue for Air Forces and coffee brown for Special Forces Command;

(b)the trouser is of the same material as the jacket.

Picture 3

Kaunda suit

4.Tuck-in uniform

(1)Tuck-in uniform is an office working dress for the Defence Forces as shown in Picture 4.

(2)

(a)head gear is a beret with a UPDF Logo as shown in Picture 4;

(b)the colour of the shirt for the Land Forces is khaki and olive green for officers and militants respectively;

(c)the colour of the shirt for the Air Forces is sky blue for officers and militants;

(d)the jacket is sky blue for Air Forces;

(e)the trouser and skirt is of the same colour and design as the Kaunda suit uniform.

Picture 4

Tuck-in uniform

5.DPM 95 Tuck-in uniformDPM 95 Tuck-in uniform is a working dress for Special Forces Command as shown in Picture 5.

Picture 5

6.Fatigue dress-plain army green

(1)Fatigue dress - plain army green is a working dress in plain print as shown in Picture 6.

(2)The colour of the jacket and trouser is plain army green.

Picture 6

7.Plain army green for reservesPlain army green uniform is for reservists on national assignments as shown in Picture 7.

Picture 7

8.Battle dress uniform combat (BDU)

(1)BDU combat is an operational dress in camouflage, 98 Digital Print for Land Force, Air Force and Marines.

(2)The BDU combat uniform is shown in Picture 8.

Picture 8

9.Multicam combat uniformMulticam combat uniform is an operational dress in camouflage, 98 Digital Print for exclusive use of the Special Forces Command as shown in Picture 9.

Picture 9

10.PonchoThe poncho is either woodland, desert camouflage or plain army green shades.

11.PulloverThe pullovers are—

(a)army green for the Land Forces and sky blue for the Air Forces;

(b)designed with epaulettes on the shoulder and have elbow patches.

12.Headgear

(1)The Defence Forces have the following headgear—

(a)ceremonial forage caps (boatswain);

(b)berets;

(c)side caps;

(d)baseball caps;

(e)bush hats; and

(f)military helmets.

(2)The headgear has the following colours—

(a)army green for Infantry;

(b)maroon for Special Forces Command;

(c)dark brown for Armoured Brigade and Motorised Infantry;

(d)red for Military Police;

(e)grey for Air-Force;

(f)black for Artillery; and

(g)navy blue for Marines.

(3)The samples are as shown in Picture 10.

Picture 10

13.WebbingsThe Webbings as shown in Picture 11.

Picture 11

14.Magazine pouchThe magazine pouch as shown in Picture 12.

Picture 12

15.Bullet proof jackets/vestsBullet proof jackets/vests as shown in Picture 13.

Picture 13

16.Military warm suits/ jacketsMilitary Warm Suits/ Jackets as shown in picture 14

Picture 14

17.Harm and heavy amour jacketsHarm and Heavy Amour Jackets as shown in Picture 15.

Picture 15

18.Military BeltsMilitary Belts as shown in Picture 16.

Picture 16

19.Military Metallic ButtonsMilitary Metallic Buttons as shown in Picture 17

Picture 17

20.LanyardsLanyards as shown in Picture 18

Picture 18

21.Pistol HolsterPistol Holster as shown in Picture 19.

Picture 19

22.BackpacksThe Backpacks are either woodland, desert camouflage or plain army green shades as shown in Picture 20.

Picture 22

23.FootwearThe following footwear is the reserve of the Defence Forces—

Picture 21

Picture 22

Picture 23

Picture 24

Picture 25

24.Military Ceremonial SwordsMilitary Ceremonial Swords are as shown in Picture 26 are reserved for the Defence Forces.

Picture 26

25.Pips, crown arms and chevrons

(1)Pips and Chevrons of the Defence Forces are prescribed according to various ranks.

(2)The pips of the Defence Forces Commissioned Officers are categorised as follows—

(a)shoulder cords;

(b)ceremonial pips;

(c)working pips; and

(d)field pips.

(3)The designs of the working pips for the rank of General are as follows—

(a)four diamond stars arranged linearly;

(b)crossed General’s sword and baton;

(c)the word "UGANDA" inscribed in capital letters; and

(d)Court of Arms inscribed with oak leaves as show in Picture 27.

Picture 27

(4)The designs of the working pips for the rank of Lieutenant General are as follows—

(a)Court of Arms surrounded by oak leaves;

(b)three diamond stars arranged linearly;

(c)crossed general’s sword and baton;

(d)the word "UGANDA" inscribed in capital letters as shown in Picture 28.

Picture 28

(5)The designs of the working pips for the rank of Major General are as follows—

(a)Court of Arms surrounded by oak leaves;

(b)two diamond stars arranged linearly;

(c)crossed General’s sword and baton; and

(d)the word "UGANDA" inscribed in capital letters as shown in Picture 29.

Picture 29

(6)The designs of the working pips for the rank of Brigadier General are as follows—

(a)Court of Arms surrounded by oak leaves;

(b)a diamond star;

(c)a crossed General’s sword and baton; and

(d)the word "UGANDA" inscribed in capital letters as shown in Picture 30.

Picture 30

(7)The designs of the working pips for the rank of Colonel are as follows—

(a)Court of Arms surrounded by oak leaves;

(b)two diamond stars just below it; and

(c)the word "UGANDA" inscribed in capital letters as shown in Picture 31

Picture 31

(8)The design of the working pips for the rank of Lieutenant Colonel are as follows—

(a)Court of Arms surrounded by oak leaves;

(b)a diamond star just below it;

(c)the word "UGANDA" inscribed in capital letters as shown in Picture 32.

Picture 32

(9)The designs of the working pips for the rank of Major have an embroidered Court of Arms near the word “UGANDA” inscribed in capital letters as shown in Picture 33.

Picture 33

(10)The designs of the working pips for the rank of Captain are as follows—

(a)3-linear diamond stars; and

(b)the word "UGANDA" inscribed in capital letters as shown in Picture 34.

Picture 34

(11)The designs of the working pips for the rank of Lieutenant have 2-linear diamond stars raising close from the word “UGANDA” inscribed in capital letters as shown in Picture 35.

Picture 35

(12)The designs of the working pips for the rank of Second Lieutenant have one diamond star close to the word “UGANDA” inscribed in capital letters as shown in Picture 36.

Picture 36

(13)The designs of the pips for the rank of Officer Cadet have one diamond star close to the initials “O/CDT” on white/blue background as shown in Picture 37.

Picture 37

(14)Picture 38 shows the samples of Field Pips—

(a)Infantry pips are black in colour superimposed on army green back ground;

(b)Air Force pips are black in colour super imposed on sky blue back ground.

Picture 38

(15)Crown Arm for the Defence Forces Sergeant Major is made of the Court of Arms and double oak leaves as shown in Picture 39.

Picture 39

(16)The Crown Arm for the rank of Service Sergeant Major is made of single oak leaf with the Court of Arms for WO1 centred on the arm band as shown in Picture 40.

Picture 40

(17)The Crown Arm for the rank of Warrant Officer Class One is made of the Court of Arm as shown in Picture 41.

Picture 41

(18)The Crown Arm for Warrant Officer Class Two is made of a Crested Crane centred on the arm band as shown in Picture 42.

Picture 42

(19)The badge of the rank of Staff Sergeant is three white V-shaped centre embroideries on the base fabric with a crested crane just above them as shown in Picture 43.

Picture 43

(20)The badge of the rank of Sergeant is three white V-shaped centre embroideries on the base fabric as shown in Picture 44.

Picture 44

(21)The badge of the rank of Corporal is two white V-shaped centre embroideries on the base fabric as shown in Picture 45.

Picture 45

(22)The badge of the rank of Lance Corporal is a white V-shaped centre embroidery on the base fabric as shown in Picture 46.

Picture 46

26.Cap badgesThe cap badges are embroidered designs worn on the cap for both the boatswain and beret head dress to complement the various military dresses as shown in the pictures below in Pictures 47, 48, 49, 50 and 51.

Picture 47

Picture 48

Picture 49

Picture 50

Picture 51

27.Gorgets for General Officers and colonels

(1)Gorgets for General Officers are red in colour with oak leaves at the center running from top to bottom.

(2)Gorgets for Colonels are red in colour with a strip at the center running from top to bottom.

(3)Gorgets for the various categories are as shown in Pictures 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 and 57.

Picture 52

Picture 53

Picture 54

Picture 55

Picture 56

Picture 57

B. Defence forces uniform

1.Air force insignia wings

(1)There are pilots and engineers’ wings.

(2)Air Force insignia wings are half and full wings with oak leaves as shown in the Pictures 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67 and 68.

Picture 58

Picture 59

Picture 60

Picture 61

Picture 62

Picture 63

Picture 64

Picture 65

Picture 66

Picture 67

Picture 68

2.The Defence Forces flags

2.1.Defence Forces Joint Services flag

(1)The design of the Defence Forces Joint Services flag is as follows—

(a)out of the whole width of the fabric, the upper part is printed in light blue and the lower part in blue, while the remaining width is equally divided into six for repeated colour patterns of the Uganda National Flag but without the Crested Crane;

(b)Defence Forces Logo and Emblem at the centre of a green background;

(c)well stitched endings with a continuation of the repeated colour patterns;

(d)uniform colour and Crested Crane prints clearly visible on both sides of the fabric; and

(e)a provision through which the rope passes at one end of the fabric for raising and lowering the flag.

(2)The Defence Forces Joint Services flag is illustrated in Picture 69.

Picture 69

2.2.Land Force flag

(1)The design of the Land Force flag is as follows—

(a)out of the whole width of the fabric, the upper part is printed in army green and the remaining width equally divided into six for repeated colour pattern of the Uganda National Flag but without the Crested Crane;

(b)Land Forces logo and emblem is printed in the centre of the army green background;

(c)well stitched endings with a continuation of the colour patterns;

(d)uniform colour and Crested Crane prints clearly visible on both sides of the fabric; and

(e)a provision through which the rope passes at one end of the fabric for raising and lowering the flag.

(2)The Land Force flag is illustrated in Picture 70.

Picture 70

2.3.Air Force flag

(1)The design of the Air Force flag is as follows—

(a)out of the whole width of the fabric, the upper part is printed sky blue and the remaining width equally divided into six for repeated colour pattern of the Uganda National Flag but without the Crested Crane;

(b)Air Forces logo and emblem printed at the centre on a skyblue background;

(c)well stitched endings with a continuation of the colour patterns;

(d)uniform colour and Crested Crane print clearly visible on both sides of the fabric; and

(e)a provision through which the rope passes at one end of the fabric for raising and lowering the flag.

(2)The Air Force flag is illustrated in Picture 71.

Picture 71

2.4.Special Force Command flag

(1)The design of the Special Force Command flag is as follows—

(a)out of the whole width of the fabric, the upper part is printed in maroon colour and the remaining width in colour pattern of the Uganda National Flag but without the Crested Crane;

(b)Special Forces Command logo and emblem printed at the centre of a maroon background;

(c)well stitched endings with a continuation of the colour patterns;

(d)uniform colour and Special Forces Command logo and emblem clearly visible on both sides of the fabric; and

(e)a provision through which the rope passes at one end of the fabric for raising and lowering the flag.

(2)The Special Force Command flag is illustrated in Picture 72.

Picture 72

2.5.Reserve Force flag

(1)The design of the Reserve Force flag is illustrated in Picture 73.

Picture 73

3.Logos of Defence Forces

Picture 74

Picture 75

Picture 76

Picture 77

Picture 78

Picture 79

Picture 80

Picture 81

Picture 82

Picture 83

Picture 84

Picture 85

Picture 86

Picture 87

Picture 88

Picture 89

Picture 90

Picture 91

Picture 92

Picture 93

Picture 94

Picture 95

Picture 96

Picture 97

Picture 98

Picture 99

Picture 100

Picture 101

Picture 102

Picture 103

Picture 104

Picture 105

Picture 106

Schedule 8 (Sections 191(1), 252(1))

[Schedule 8 repealed by section 84 of Act 8 of 2025]

Schedule 9 (Section 69B)

Monthly rates of disability compensation and helper’s allowances

[Schedule 9 added by section 85 of Act 8 of 2025]

Degree of disablement	1% - 9%	10% -19%	20% - 39%	40% - 59%	60% - 79%	80% - 100%
Rates of disability compensation and helper’s allowances per month	UGX 150,000 as disability compensation and UGX 75,000 as helper’s allowance	UGX 300,000 as disability compensation and UGX 150,000 as helper’s allowance	UGX 600,000 as disability compensation and UGX 300,000 as helper’s allowance	UGX 900,000 as disability compensation and UGX 450,000 as helper’s allowance	UGX 1,200,000 as disability compensation and UGX 600,000 as helper’s allowance	UGX 1,500,000 as disability compensation and UGX 750,000 as helper’s allowance

Schedule 10 (Section 70(2))

Constant to be applied for calculation of pension: Accrual factor based on rank

[Schedule 10 added by section 85 of Act 8 of 2025]

S/ No.	Rank	Entry age	Maximum age	Length of service (Years)	Length of service (Months)	Varying constant
Officers
(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)	e = (d-c)	f = (e *12)	g = ( 1/f)
1.	Second Lieutenant	18	40	22	264	1/264
2.	Lieutenant	18	43	25	300	1/300
3.	Captain	18	45	27	324	1/324
4.	Major	18	48	30	360	1/360
5.	Lieutenant Colonel	18	52	34	408	1/408
6.	Colonel	18	55	37	444	1/444
7.	Brigadier	18	58	40	480	1/480
8.	Major General	18	60	42	504	1/500
9.	Lieutenant General	18	63	45	540	1/500
10.	General	18	65	47	564	1/500
Other ranks
11.	Private	18	40	22	264	1/264
12.	Lance Corporal	18	42	24	288	1/288
13.	Corporal	18	45	27	324	1/324
14.	Sergeant	18	50	32	384	1/384
15.	Staff Sergeant	18	54	36	432	1/432
16.	Warrant Officer Class II	18	56	38	456	1/456
17.	Warrant Officer Class I	18	58	40	480	1/480

Schedule 11 (Section 71J(1))

Template of Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces soldiers’ will

[Schedule 11 added by section 85 of Act 8 of 2025]

Schedule 12 (Section 250A(2))

Defence Forces service medals

[Schedule 12 added by section 85 of Act 8 of 2025]

1.Commander’s Commendation Medal (CCM)

(1)The Commander’s Commendation Medal shall be awarded to members of the Defence Forces, irrespective of rank, of outstanding duty performance whose achievements and service are clearly and unmistakably exceptional when compared to similar achievements and service of officers or militants of like rank and responsibility.

(2)A member of the Defence Forces holding the Ushindi Medal may qualify for the Commander’s Commendation Medal.

2.Meritorious Service Medal (MSM)The Meritorious Service Medal shall be awarded to non-commissioned officers above the rank of Corporal who are of irreproachable character and already holding the Long Service Medal.

3.Long Service Medal (LSM)

(1)Long Service Medals shall be awarded to members of the Defence Forces, irrespective of rank, who have served their country for a long period of time as prescribed in sub paragraph (2), and one of good conduct.

(2)Long Service Medals shall be in the following categories:

(a)Mapambano Medal (MP) - thirty years of service.

(b)Kabamba Medal (KM) - twenty years of service

(c)Wazalendo Medal (WM) - ten years of service.

4.Campaign Service Medals (CSM)The Campaign Service Medal shall be awarded to members of the Defence Forces who have participated in wars conducted within or beyond the borders of Uganda involving external aggressors or forces of other countries with or against the Republic of Uganda.

5.5. Ushindi Medal (UM)The Ushindi Medal shall be awarded to a Commander who has commanded an operation in which any of his or her subordinates has qualified for the award of the Commander’s Commendation medal.

History of this document

27 June 2025 this version

Amended by Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (Amendment) Act, 2025

31 December 2023

Chapter 330

Revised Laws 2023

Consolidation

Read this version

28 July 2023

Amended by Law Revision (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, 2023

02 September 2005

Published in Uganda Gazette 56

Commenced

Read this version

23 August 2005

Assented to

Cited documents 6

Act

Advocates Act

Insolvency Act

Ordinance

Pensions Act

Bankruptcy Act

Repealed

Statute

Constitution of the Republic of Uganda

Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces Act

Repealed

Documents citing this one 15

Judgment

Foundation for Human Rights Initiatives v Attorney General (Constitutional Petition No. 20 of 2006) [2008] UGCC 1 (26 March 2008)

Court held bail is not automatic, affirmed mandatory release after remand periods, and struck down provisions permitting extended remand.

Constitutional law – Bail – Article 23(6): right to apply for bail vs. discretion to grant; mandatory release after statutory remand periods; reasonable conditions and cancellation of bail; invalidation of statutory provisions permitting extended remand (TIA s.16; MCA s.76; UPDF ss.219,231,248; Police Act s.25(2)).

Attorney General v Kabaziguruka (Constitutional Appeal 2 of 2021) [2025] UGSC 1 (31 January 2025)

Col. (Rtd) Dr. Kiiza Besigye and 22 Others v Attorney General (Constitutional Petition 12 of 2006) [2007] UGCC 9 (12 January 2007)

High Court bail must be honored; unlawful GCM remands violate fair trial, liberty and judicial independence.

Constitutional law — fair trial (Article 28) and personal liberty (Article 23) — detention by court-martial declared nullity — High Court bail must be respected — Magistrates' Court Act s.168(1)&(2) compatible with fair-trial rights — DPP's prosecution powers vis-à-vis court-martial custody (Article 120).

Gen. David Sejusa v Attorney General (Miscellaneous Cause No. 176 of 2015) [2016] UGHC 23 (28 May 2016)

A continuing failure to communicate a retirement decision and withdraw benefits amounts to constructive discharge, entitling remedies via judicial review.

Administrative law – judicial review – time bar – continuing administrative wrongs – constructive discharge – military service – fair administrative action – failure to communicate decision – remedies and damages – Uganda People's Defence Forces Act – constitutional rights – damages for unlawful deprivation of employment and benefits.

Kitata v Director of Public Prosecutions & Another (MISCELLANEOUS CAUSE NO. 125 OF 2018) [2019] UGHCCD 251 (30 May 2019)

A civilian can be tried by court martial under the UPDF Act, but military detention beyond statutory limits is unlawful.

* Military jurisdiction – civilians – UPDF Act s119(1) and s204 – circumstances where civilians become subject to military law; * Statutory instruments – SI 307-8 saved by transitional provisions; SI 13/2006 prescribing arms and ammunition valid; * Constitutional law – Article 120 (DPP) discretionary powers; * Arrest and detention – Criminal Procedure Code exceptions; regulation 5(1)-(2) prohibits prolonged military detention of civilians; * Procedure – recording of statements; alleged contempt to be pursued by specific application.

Kyagulanyi and Another v AG and Others (Misc Cause No. 16 of 2021) [2021] UGHCCD 1 (23 January 2021)

Habeas Corpus—unlawful detention—house arrest—personal liberty—due process—constitutional rights—state security—public interest—costs

Luyenjje Najjimu and Others v Uganda (Criminal Applications No. 10, 12 & 13 of 2023) [2024] UGHCICD 18 (23 April 2024)

Uganda Law Society & Anor v The Attorney General (Constitutional Application 8 of 2002; Constitutional Petition 2 of 2002) [2009] UGCC 5 (4 February 2009)

HR|Have his cause heard (fair trial)

Uganda Law Society and Another v Attorney general (Constitutional Petition 2 of 2002; Constitutional Petition 8 of 2002) [2009] UGCC 4 (5 February 2009)

Uganda Law Society v Attorney General (Consitutional Petition 18 of 2005) [2006] UGCC 10 (31 January 2006)

Military interference at the High Court and unlawful military trials of civilians violated liberty, fair trial and jurisdictional limits.

Constitutional law — Judicial independence and fair trial — Military presence and conduct inside High Court interfering with bail documentation and access to counsel — violation of Articles 23, 28 and 128. Criminal procedure — Concurrent prosecutions in High Court and General Court Martial from same facts — risk of double jeopardy and breach of Article 28(9). Military law — UPDF Act s.119(1)(g),(h) unlawfully extends military jurisdiction to civilians — inconsistent with Article 210. Jurisdiction — Terrorism triable only by High Court; DPP consent required (Anti-Terrorism Act ss.3,6); GCM lacked jurisdiction for charges brought.

Gazette

Uganda Government Gazette Acts Supplement dated 2023-07-28 number 10

Uganda Government Gazette dated 2006-03-09 number 15

Ordinance

Administrator-General’s Act

handbook

The Gender Benchbook: Women's Access to Justice in Uganda

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Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Act

Chapter 330

Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Act

Related documents

Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Act

Chapter 330

Part I – Interpretation

1. Interpretation

Part II – Composition, organs and structures of Defence Forces

Composition

2. Composition of Defence Forces

3. Establishment and composition of Services

4. Composition of regular forces

5. Sources and organisation of reserve forces

Command, appointments, etc.

6. Functions of Defence Forces

7. Commander-in-Chief of Defence Forces, etc.

8. Powers of command

9. Powers of command of officers of cooperating and other forces

10. Appointments

11. Location of units and formations

12. Authorised ranks, trades

Organs and structures of Defence Forces

13. Defence Forces Council

14. High Command

15. Meetings of Defence Forces Council and High Command

16. Attendance of meetings

16A. Joint Military Command

17. Command and Staff Meeting

17A. Service Command and Staff Committees

18. Implementation Committee

19. Commissions Board

20. Unit Promotions Board

21. Meetings of Commissions Board

22. Policy and administration committees

23. Pensions authority

24. Committees

25. Board of inquiry

26. Defence Forces Fund

Part III – Employment of Defence Forces

Continuing full time military service, active service, attachment, secondment, etc.

27. Service of members of regular forces

28. Inspectorate of Defence Forces

29. Reserve forces in peacetime

30. Mobilisation of reserve forces and prescribed forces

31. Mode of mobilisation

32. Annual training

33. Punishment for non-attendance

34. Discharge on completion of engagement

35. Discharge during service

36. Restrictions during full time service

37. Attachment and secondment

Deployment of troops outside Uganda

38. Deployment of troops outside Uganda

39. Agreement relating to deployment of troops outside Uganda

40. Law applicable

Aid to civil power

41. Aid to civil power

42. Officers and militants have powers of police officer

43. Other assistance to civil authorities

44. General

Cooperation with, and attachment, etc. of other forces

45. Cooperating forces

46. Attachment, etc. to Defence Forces

Miscellaneous

47. Procurement

48. Supply and issue of material

49. Commandeering and billeting

Part IV – Terms and contions of service

Recruitment and appointment to commissions

50. Recruitment

51. Enrolment and appointment to commission

52. Oaths on enrolment

53. Re-engagement

Promotion, acting rank, temporary rank and honorary rank

54. Considerations for promotion

55. Board to consult

56. Board to summon persons

57. Allowance for attending meeting of Board

58. False information to Board