KAMPALA – The five justices of the Constitutional Court involved in the age limit petition are this week set to camp in a secluded place outside the city in order to reach a common position on how to deliver the final ruling, PML Daily can exclusively report.
The country is waiting with bated breath as the judges are yet to deliver the ruling in the landmark case despite the expiry of the mandatory two-month deadline since the court closing hearing on April 19 in the Mbale court.
However, highly placed sources in the Judiciary have intimated to this website that Justices Alphonse Owiny-Dollo, Cheborion Barishaki, Kenneth Kakuru, Elizabeth Musoke and Remmy Kasule are to go on a retreat away from the hustles and bustles of the city in order to iron out differences in each of their individual rulings and agree on the final ruling.
Sources close to the matter said the justices have different opinions and rulings in the case, which they want to sort out first in private before the ruling, which sources said is expected Next Week.
The sources added that the petitioners and the defence team will then notified to return to Mbale for the final ruling.
This will come as welcome news to several stakeholders in the case. At the function to mark the open court day in Bushenyi District last week, Buhweju County MP Francis Mwijukye asked Chief Justice Bart Katureebe to explain why the Constitutional Court has not delivered the ruling, more than two months since the closure of the hearing.
Also read: Lawyers petition CJ over delayed judgement in age limit petition
In reply, however, the Chief Justice said rulings of such magnitude need time but said the ruling will be delivered this month.
James Byamukama, one of lawyers representing the petitioners, wrote to the head of the Constitutional Court, seeking an explanation why the ruling has delayed.
In the petition, the petitioners said the process of amending the constitution to remove the presidential age limit was illegal, not representative enough and was marred by violence.
They also say the extending of the term of office for mps and LC5 chairpersons is null and void since it was sneaked in without consent of the population.
