Top officials of the Democratic Party (DP) have vowed to march to the Constitutional Square (former City Square) on Thursday to put up a banner expressing their opinion about the lifting of the presidential age limit.
Recently, the DP President General Norbert Mao was intercepted by police under the command of Kampala Regional Police Commander Siraj Bakaleke as the former his led colleagues to the City Square, where they intended to address crowds, castigating the lifting of the 75-year constitutional age limit cap for anyone to be eligible to hold the Office of the President.
Since then, party members who have been giving out banners, flyers, motorcycle stickers have been arrested in different areas around Kampala, something Mao says is earning the DP more popularity.
‘’This time I don’t hope to see any interferences by police because we already wrote to police chief Gen Kale Kayihura among other police commanders in Kampala,” Mao said while addressing the media on a range of issues at DP headquarters.
He also decried acts of violence, and criticised the humiliation of Kassanda South MP Simeo Nsubuga, by political activist William Ntege aka ‘Kyuma kya Yesu’.
“I can see the anger that Ugandans have over the lifting of the presidential age limit,” a laughing Mao said about the incident that happened at Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi’s 24th coronation ceremony that was held in Mityana.
Mao also urged the public to strive to ensure the withdrawal of the land amendment bill that was tabled by the Deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukutana, that seeks to pave the way for the government to acquire land for infrastructure development in lieu of the Government Valuer’s report.
“There is no need to amend Article 26 of the Land Act since compensation is in place unless there is a motive behind its amendment,” Mao said.
He added: “We are not opposing government programs however it should be done in a civilized manner. Many people have been evicted in Naguru, Shimoni land on claims of putting up a hotel instead all have turned out be white elephant projects.”
Mao called for the speedy compensation of claimants and also decried the ‘amorphous corruption that is eating up officials of Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA)’, who he said, compensate a few after being bribed ‘to be connected to get compensation funds.’
