By Mary Kisakye
The mother of the Member of Parliament for Jinja Municipality West, Moses Balyeku, on Thursday faced the wrath of Jinja residents who reportedly assaulted her, accusing her of producing a ‘bad son’.
Ms Joy Balyeku had gone to Amber Court market ahead of his son who was supposed to address the traders at 2pm on the proposed amendment of Article 102 (b) of the Constitution to scrap age limits for people aspiring for the highest office on the land.
Ms Balyeku who had gone for shopping reportedly told traders that “their brother was coming to address them over the constitutional age limit amendment”. The infuriated traders hurled insults at her and shoved her before pushing her out of the market.
After the ordeal suffered by his mother, the MP sent an advance team to assess the situation and was reportedly told to stay the consultation exercise because the environment was not conducive.
In an interview with PML Daily, Ms Balyeku blamed the incident on hooligans who she said are Forum for Democratic Change supporters.
“I was not rooting for anything. I was just telling them that Moses (the area MP) will be coming to talk to them,” she said.
Balyeku was one of the two legislators who seconded Raphael Magyezi’s age limit motion when it was finally tabled in Parliament.
The move reportedly angered his constituents who accused the NRM legislators of trying to represent himself in Parliament instead of representing their views.
Consequently, a group of youths in the constituency led by former MP aspirant Paul Kawanguzi started soliciting signatures aimed at recalling Balyeku from Parliament.
In a related development, local leaders in Buzaya county unanimously voted against amending the constitution to scrap age limits for persons vying for the Presidency of the country.
In a meeting held at Nawanyago sub-county headquarters, a total of 145 local leaders voted against the amendment while 123 voted in favour of the amendment.
They consequently told their area MP and State minister for Urban Planning Isaac Musumba not to tamper with the Constitution.
President Museveni will be 77 years of age by 2021 and will be ineligible to run if the constitution is not amended.
