Igara West Member of Parliament Raphael Magyezi has said he received death threats from Ugandans over his attempts to amend the Article 102(b) Constitution to lift the 75-year presidential age limit cap.
“We are serious on this, we hear threats here and there but I would like to hear the arguments. They say Magyezi you are bad, you are stupid, does that stop me from reasoning? These things of threats and abuses; I would like to see Ugandans move away from this kind of culture,” Magyezi said yesterday, while addressing journalists at Parliament.
Responding to criticisms that he moved to push for the bill without consulting his voters, Magyezi said he will consult after tabling the bill.
“People are saying we didn’t consult, colleagues, I am a Member of Parliament, I am not a delegate and you must understand the meaning, yes, I will consult them but I must have a question for consultation. If there is no bill what do you go to consult people about?” Magyezi said.
Magyezi also added: “You want us to take hear say to the population. I was with leaders of Igara West, I took this bill to them and they gave me their views.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah has warned MPs against exciting the public with the age limit debate, and instead told them to sharpen their brains for the imminent debate.
He also advised against MPs threatening to go to the gym to prepare for a fight, saying they should instead use the gym time to make their bodies healthy.
“I advise you to hit the gym for the purposes of staying healthy, but as for debate, just sharpen your mind you don’t need to go to the gym to sharpen your mind,” the Deputy Speaker said.
Weighing in on the heavy police deployment at Parliament, Oulanyah said some of the MPs attracted the development when they started making violent threats.
“I have seen on Social Media where an MP is calling for war on this House and they are saying there is going to be war like it has never been seen before. When you make those statements in the public like that, you make this House become a possible scene of crime. When you do that, how do you stop police from deploying?” Oulanyah remarked.
