UPDF Bill Vote: NRM MPs Meeting Museveni at State House; Opposition MPs Agree to Attend Parliament Sitting

Opposition MPs have resolved to attend the parliamentary sitting on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, during which a vote is expected to be taken on the UPDF Amendment Bill 2025.

The UPDF Amendment Bill 2025 will be tabled on the floor of parliament for the second reading, according to the order paper released at the weekend.

On Monday, 19 May 2025, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, convened a meeting with other opposition MPs to decide on whether to attend the plenary sitting in which a vote on the UPDF Amendment Bill is expected to be taken.

About 30 MPs attended the closed-door caucus that Ssenyonyi chaired. The opposition has up to 109 members of parliament.

The MPs attending the caucus agreed to attend the plenary sitting and make their arguments, use legal platforms and push back and have “our say on record.”

Attendance, Ssenyonyi continued, would give the basis to challenge the amendments in court of law, and that this is part of the efforts to “keep fighting.”

After the caucus, Ssenyonyi urged the ruling NRM government to “show goodwill by doing what’s right.”

He called for an end to political persecution of opposition politicians and their supporters, demanded the release of political prisoners and called on the state to allow opposition parties to hold mobilisation activities like the ones of Museveni’s NRM.

“if you do that, you might entice us to sit on a round table with you. It doesn’t make sense for us to sit and take tea and pictures, but tomorrow when we try to go out for mobilisation activities, police and the military are waiting to foil our mobilisation activities,” said Ssenyonyi.

Meanwhile, the NRM MPs are expected to meet President Museveni, the party chairman, at State House Entebbe.

Government chief whip Hamson Obua said the party was not scared and would use engagements to reach a consensus on issues of national interest.

“The National Resistance Movement has been here for over 35 years and nothing scares it,” said Obua.

“Under our rules of procedure of the NRM parliamentary caucus, all decisions are agreed upon through consensus and engagement.”

You can see the circumstances under which civilians will be tried in military courts if the UPDF Bill is passed into law HERE.

Under the new law, civilians could be arrested and tried in Museveni military courts for wearing Kaunda suits of certain colors. (See Details Here).

Meanwhile, NRM MPs, Museveni, his son Gen Muhoozi and others pushing for the trial of civilians in military courts have been warned that they could be victims of the same law which can be used against them, as reported Here and There.

For comments on this report, story tips or sponsored content, send us a Whatsapp message on +256 705 690 819 or E-mail us on pearltimesug@gmail.com).

Please Follow our Whatsapp Channel for More Stories Here