AG Kiryowa Kiwanuka Gives Reason Why Civilians Have not Been Released Despite Supreme Court Ruling

Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka appeared before Parliament on Tuesday to explain the delay in the release of civilians facing trial in the General Court Martial (GCM), despite the Supreme Court's ruling that halted such trials and ordered the immediate release of all civilians in military detention.

Kiwanuka’s appearance followed growing concerns among MPs, particularly regarding the failure to implement the court's decision swiftly. In his statement, the Attorney General expressed regret over the delay and outlined the efforts being made to resolve the issue.

“I regret to report that we are unable to make this statement today. When this matter came up last week, the Minister of Justice made an effort to meet with the Judiciary, the Chief Justice and the team, they were busy last week with the preparation of the judgment, they were not able to meet him.

"And this week, they are handling the Judges Conference which started today and will end on Friday. So the Minister has requested that he will be allowed to meet with the Justices and then be able to report back,” Kiwanuka explained.

The delay in meeting with the Judiciary and the ongoing Judges Conference were cited as the primary reasons for the failure to implement the Supreme Court’s order, which had instructed the immediate release of all civilians detained in military courts.

Kiwanuka assured MPs that the Minister of Justice would meet with the justices after the conference and provide an update on the next steps.