The Leader of Opposition Winnie Kiiza has announced a nationwide consultation programme on the age limit bill.
The first phase of the programme that begins tomorrow in Kireka – a Kampala suburb, will run until the 26th of October and will cover areas of Kampala central, Northern and Eastern Uganda as well as west Nile region.
The consultation meetings will be conducted by the area MPs of the respective constituencies being visited jointly by the MPs opposed to the amendment. Kiiza says the Opposition MPs will also be accompanied by NRM MPs opposed to the amendment.
The Leader of the Opposition has sent a stern warning to the Inspector General of police advising him to cease police harassment of MPs opposed to the age limit amendment.
Winnie Kiiza says the police on the orders of the IGP Kale Kayihura has repeatedly broken up and dispersed lawful gatherings organized by MPs in their constituencies.
“I don’t see why they should follow people who are addressing legally accepted rallies, and yet they are failing to protect people who are being killed every other day.” She stressed.
Kiiza asserts that when the speaker adjourned the house last week she advised legislators to go and consult their constituents on the Constitutional amendment No2. Bill 2017 commonly referred to as the age limit bill.
The bill is currently before the legal committee of parliament which is set to begin its own consultations on the controversial bill.
The bill that seeks to amend article 102(b) of the constitution that places lower and upper age caps on presidential aspirants is widely seen by opponents of president Museveni’s regime as a direct ploy to extend his 30 year grip on power. Museveni is currently ineligible to run for president during the next general election as he will be overage.
Kiiza has accused Kayihura of disrupting the work of parliament in barring MPs from addressing their constituents. “If he Kayihura is disrupting the work of parliament then we shall see how we can invoke other laws that can put him in his place.” She warned.
The Leader of Opposition also revealed that she has no knowledge of any plans by the Parliamentary committee to allocate Shs20m to each of the more than 400 MPs to assist them in consultations in their constituencies.
Kiiza who is a member of the commission says MPs are adequately facilitated every month for consultations and notes that the Shs9bn purportedly being sourced by the commission is a waste of tax payer’s money.
“The matter before us is not a special matter and therefore our position has been that members can still use what the parliamentary commission has been giving us to consult our people because the consultations are not different,” she explained.
Yesterday the deputy chairperson of the NRM caucus, Solomon Silwany, told PML daily that the commission was discussing ways of coming up with the money.
Kiiza was flanked by opposition MPs Joseph Ssewunga (Kalungu west), lutamaguzi Semakula (Nakaseke South), Robinah Ssentongo (Kyotera Woman), Francis Mwijukye (Buhwejju), Anna Adeke Ebaju (National female youth MP) and Atkins Katusabe (Busongora North).
Opposition Age limit Consultation Programme
DATE TOWN / CITY
13th October 2017 Kireka
16th October 2017 Bwaise
17th October 2017 Nateete/Kyengera
18th October 2017 Town Hall consultation at Pope Paul Memorial
20th October 2017 Ndeeba
21st October 2017 Makindye East
22nd October 2017 Tororo
23rd October 2017 Soroti/Mbale
24th October 2017 Lira
25th October 2017 Kitgum
26th October 2017 Koboko/Arua
