The controversial bill by Igara West MP Raphael Magezi seeking the removal of the 75-year age cap for presidential eligibility has today been referred to the Legal and Parliament Affairs Committee for consideration following the first presentation before Parliament.

During the plenary Magyezi tabled the Constitution Amendment Bill (No.2), 2017 for First Reading, but the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga referred it to the Committee, which will decide whether it is worth deliberating upon or throwing out altogether.

Last week Magyezi, seconded by MPs Moses Balyeku, Jackson Karissa and Doreen Amule, was granted a 40-day leave by Speaker Kadaga to prepare the ‘Private Members Bill’ seeking the amendment of Article 102 (b) of the 1995 Constitution, something that is viewed by many Ugandans as an attempt to pave the way for President Museveni to stand for presidency in 2021 when aged 77 years, two years over the cap.

The Bill has since caused anxiety and anger in almost eqal measure, with the opposition MPs clashing with their ruling party counterparts on the floor of parliament, something that resulted in the suspension of 25 legislators including the State Minister of Water Resources Ronald Kibuule, who allegedly sneaked a gun into the parliamentary chambers.

During the fracas in which several opposition legislators including Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi and his Makindye East counterpart Allan Sewanyana were forcefully evicted, MPs Angelina Osege and Francis Butebi Zaake were injured, with the latter currently admitted at Rubaga Hospital.

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For the second time in as many days, Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) National Mobiliser Ingrid Turinawe, have been arrested for wearing and distributing red ribbons.

Early today, police surrounded Lukwago’s home in Wakaliga, Rubaga division claiming that they had received information that  the Mayor would engage in the ‘red ribbon protests’ scheduled for today.

And, draped in the red ribbon, Lukwago was speedily arrested and taken to Kira Police Station, where he is currently detained on the grounds that a red ribbon was meant to mobilise people to protest against the removal of the presidential age limit capped at 75 years.

On the other hand FDC’s Ingrid Turinawe was arrested in Gayaza, Wakiso district while clandestinely distributing red ribbons to FDC supporters and other anti-age removal activists in the surrounding areas.

Turinawe was last week arrested in Mbarara over similar issues and whisked off to Kampala as police searched her vehicle ‘for Col. Kizza Besigye’.

Other activists arrested today include Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi, who was bloked by police at ‘Mbuzzi’ along Gayaza Road as he together with supporters headed to the home of Makindye west legislator Allan Sewanyana.

On Saturday, Besigye, the former FDC presidential candidate declared the wearing of red ribbons as a symbol of protest against the lifting of presidential age limit that is set at 75 years.

Those opposed to the lifting of that age limit say the move will give a lee way for President Yoweri Museveni to stand for presidency in 2021 when aged 77 years, in contravention of the 1995 Constitution.

Meanwhile, Dr. Besigye has today re- launched the ‘walk to work’ as one of the opposition strategies to bring the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government on its knees.

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The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has summoned officials from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to explain the whereabouts of Shs39b gratuity funds of former employees of the defunct East African Airways Corporation (EAAC).

Kadaga issued the directive this morning after receiving a petition from the former East African Airlines employees who are demanding for their accumulated gratuity amounting to Shs39bn since 1977.

In their petition, the former employees revealed that when the East African body collapsed in 1977, the sister governments made an undertaking to pay all the employees at the time for loss of office, but that the Ugandan government failed to effect it’s part of the bargain, prompting legal action in 1993.

“In or about 2006, government paid to us 60% of our entitlements and then refused to pay the balance, which we successfully challenged in the courts of law and orders were made to pay to us all our money,” the petition reads in part.

The petition adds: “Even worse, the Ministry of Finance in a most ridiculous and insensitive manner has insisted that before any other former employee of the East African Airways can be paid, those who have already received their payments should return in person to the Ministry of EAC Affairs with their bank statements to confirm that they were paid.”

The petitioners noted that they followed their search for the money with an Order of Mandamus and in August 2016, a small bunch of money was released by the Ministry of Finance, through the Ministry of East African Community Affairs, that saw only 15% of the total number paid, leaving the other 85% totaling 530 people not paid to date.

Further, the petitioners decried the manner in which the Finance Ministry is handling the matter saying that despite the fact that President Yoweri Museveni issued an Executive Order to have the money paid, the Ministry has been adamant.

East African Airways Corporation was an airline jointly run by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda which started operations in 1946, but was dissolved in 1977 after relations among the three countries deteriorated. The corporation employed about 620 people.

“We are all persons of advanced age who lost our jobs forty years ago. Many of us are ailing with terminal and other serious diseases after going through a lifetime of strain and pain to fend for our families. We are too frail and old to resort to the streets or violence,” the petitioners lamented in their petition.

In response, Speaker Kadaga promised to hold a meeting with the finance ministry officials to get explanations on why the ex-EAAC workers haven’t been paid to date.

The development comes at a time when Government announced plans to revive Uganda Airlines, a move that is said will cost US$400M.

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The ‘First Reading’ of the controversial age limit amendment bill is to be held today, sources in Parliament have told the EagleOnline. According to the sources, the Constitution Amendment Bill No. 2 of 2017 seeks to make amendments in accordance with articles 259 and 262, among which are provisions for ‘eligibility requirements for a person to be elected as president or district chairperson under articles 102 (b) and 183 (b)’.

Principally, the mover of the motion, Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi premises the amendment on the Supreme Court ruling in Amama Mbabazi vs Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Electoral Commission and the Attorney General in Presidential Petition No.1 of 2016.

In the same Bill the mover, through a Memorandum to Parliament, seeks to amend Part II of Chapter Seven, Article 104 of the Constitution, by substituting clause 2,3 and 6, which expressly provide for a presidential petition to be lodged in the Supreme Court within 15 days after declaration of election results; for the Supreme Court to determine the petition ‘not later than 45 days from the date of petition filing and, the holding of fresh elections within 60 days if a presidential election is annulled.

The mover also seeks to amend Part III of Chapter Eleven on Local Government, by repealing Article 183(2)(b), in respect to the eligibility requirements of a District Chairperson.

The age limit removal bill, said by many to be aimed at perpetuating President Museveni’s rule, has caused anxiety in the populace, with protagonists and antagonists in the Parliament exchanging blows last week.

And, following the scuffles, the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga suspended 24 opposition MPs, and the State Minister of Water Ronald Kibuule, who allegedly sneaked a gun into Parliament in contravention of the parliamentary rules.

Meanwhile, the scuffles came to a crescendo when plain-clothed security personnel said to be members of the Special Forces Command (SFC), the elite presidential guard, stormed Parliament and roughed up opposition MPs, who were later detained in different places, ostensibly on the orders of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) General Kale Kayihura.

Opponents of the Bill say that President Museveni, who has been in power for 31 years, is a silent ‘pusher’ of constitutional amendments that are aimed at extending his reign, beginning with the removal of ‘Term Limits’ in 2005.

They now argue that an amendment to Article 102(b) will see Mr. Museveni, who rode to power partly by criticizing his predecessors like Idi Amin and Dr. Apollo Milton Obote for ‘overstaying in power’, ‘rule for life’.

Prominent among the proponents of the Bill is State Minister for Investment Evelyn Anite, Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi, his Arua Municipality counterpart Ibrahim Abiriga, National Resistance Movement (NRM) Chief Whip Ruth Nankabirwa Sentamu, while all the opposition MPs are against any amendments to Article 102(b) of the Constitution.

By press time it was not possible to get comment from the parliamentary authorities about the First Reading.

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