President Museveni has signed the controversial age limit bill into an act following legislator’s decision in an open voting to remove both the upper and the lower presidential age limit capped that was capped at 75 and 35 years.
On December 20, 2017, a day after the suspension of six MPs against the bill, over 317 legislators voted for removal of age limit cap, 97 Voted against as two MPs Abstained the process.
However according to Chris Obore the Spokesperson for parliament, president Museveni wrote to speaker as it is required by law confirming the signing of the bill into an act and forwarded it to parliament for it to be passed.
‘’The bill was signed on December 27, 2017, one week after voting in parliamentary chambers’’ Mr. Obore said in a telephone interview.
However in his new year’s message to Ugandans, Museveni lauded the 317 MPs who defied intimidation, blackmail and opted for removal of age limit stopping the maintaining Uganda on the path of unimaginative, non-ideological, neo-colonial status quo.
‘’The 317 MPs have played a crucial role at this historical junction just like the 28 cadres of Montepuez, Mozambique played in the formation of the Fronasa Army just as 232 MPs of the seventh Parliament played a significant role in opening up the term limits that have enabled Uganda to cover more ground’’. He said at his home in Rwakitura.
Age limit bill that was peddled by the Igara west MP Raphael Magyezi seconded by Moses Balyeku and Jackson Kafuzi was tabled before parliament as private members bill in October last year after the failure of ministry of constitution affairs to form a constitution review commission.
Museveni signs controversial age bill into an Act
