As Uganda hurtles towards a monarchanised military, there are strong signals a ‘soldier-king’ is being readied to take charge
The term monarchised military was introduced by scholar Paul Chambers, using the Thailand model. Chambers (2024) has recently explained the nexus between the monarchy and the military. Together they have dominated the Thai political landscape. Chambers also talks about the impact of the monarchised military on the lèse-majesté. Lèse-majesté, often translated as “insulting the monarchy,” is a crime against the dignity of a ruling head of state or the state itself. It’s a concept that’s been a part of legal systems in various countries, particularly those with monarchies or strong symbolism attached to the head of state, such as Uganda. Lèse-majesté laws can be enacted and evoked to detain and imprison activists and human rights defenders that may challenge the monarchised military.
